


Shroud of Rage, Chain of Grief

by Ellixer



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Hiatus, POV Alternating, POV First Person, POV Multiple
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-10 23:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 55,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7866418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellixer/pseuds/Ellixer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There exists a world where I save my family, all of them, banding our kingdoms together to defeat a force conspiring to tear us apart. We unite by overcoming our differences, finding a common ground, banding together despite our distant. There exists a world where we achieve our happy ending. This is not that world. Where did I go wrong? Gods help me where did I go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So... hi. This is my second story, and it's been a long long while since my last one so do forgive me if I'm losing the craft. I still am not too in touch with the fanfiction community so do tell me if I accidentally commit a social faux pas or two.
> 
> Anyway, the story. This is a retelling of the events of Fire Emblem Fates (or Fire Emblem If), not following one particular route or another (but it will certainly be much closer to one route than the others). This is an AU, with many changes that I will allow you to discover for yourself as the story unfolds. Suffice to say the backstory in this story is not the same as the backstory in the canon story. Many characters will behave differently for reasons that I hope will become clear eventually. As I also make use of characters who do not appear extensively in the game's main story there will also be reinterpretations of these characters. Some characters who are dead by the time the game begins will be alive here and I will make use of one character who isn't in the game. I won't call them an OC but they're far enough from their original portrayal that you can practically consider them one I think. Other characters will also develop into very different people than they are in the canon story (chiefly, Corrin).
> 
> Other miscellaneous notes in no particular order: There will almost certainly be no children characters. Not all characters will appear. There will be a pairing which I will reveal when it actually develops into that. The story expects you to be familiar with the story of all three routes as well as Fire Emblem Awakening (though awakening isn't strictly necessary but you will be left quite confused at some points), if not you may still be able to follow the plot but you will also be spoiled. I have not played most of the DLC chapters so I do apologize if I clash with any of the lore (though I do try to check the wiki regularly to prevent this) but do point them out to me. I do not know entirely where the story will end up and I do expect school to get into the way of writing eventually which may mean there may come a long hiatus period. I have finished writing the first draft for 5-6 chapters and will release them as I receive feedback for each chapter and edit the coming ones.
> 
> Phew that was needlessly long. Anyway, I'm equal part dreading and anticipating the initial response. First chapter (really first few chapters) will be mostly setup but I do hope you enjoy the directions I'm taking these characters. I do hope I revealed (or create) facets to these characters you find fresh, interesting and believable. I hope you like the story and it would also help immensely to leave reviews, positive or otherwise. I especially like reviews that reference specific parts of the chapter but I'll happily take all kind. Honestly there's no such thing as too many reviews so leave them liberally. I just wanted to hammer that one home so I don't get the urge to nag for reviews later on (like I did last time). Also it won't come up early but if you ever think the fic warrants a "Graphic Depiction of Violence" warning do tell.
> 
> Enjoy!

I sit on a throne, alone, in the dark… too dark for me to discern whether this is father's throne room, but as I look up, my eyes meet a terrifying statue… a dragon... neither dusk, nor dawn... and not quite the silent dragon… Something about the statue scares me. It's too familiar…

My eyes then rest on three figures, each holding a mirror in their hand. I open my mouth to ask them questions, but my hand extends to beckon them instead.

The first man brings me his mirror, and as I look into it, I see my family. Xander sits on the throne, Camilla and Leo by my side, Elise on my shoulder. It was a beautiful image, an ideal world. I wish to reach out, to switch place with the me in the mirror. As I touch the glass, it cracks, and I recoil. The crack grows even after my finger leaves, and though I wish to question the man who brought me the mirror, my mouth refuses to move. As I watch the mirror cracks beyond recognition, I feel a tear roll down my cheek.

The second man brings me his mirror, and as I look into it, I see a family, and me. People I do not recognize act as if I am one of them. A samurai, a tomboyish woman, a grumpy fellow and a shy girl. It is unfamiliar… but pleasant, and I feel the urge to reach out for this world. But my hand grabs it and tosses it to the floor. My foot, even as I resist, stamps on the mirror, leaving nothing but shards. I weep inside as my body destroys a family I do not know. I feel the edge of my mouth curls upward.

The third man brings me his mirror, and as I look into it, I see happiness. Everyone in the previous two worlds are in this one as well, and in the midst of it all is me on my throne, looking like I belong there my whole life. To my side is an unfamiliar woman with blue long hair. I feel a great connection with this stranger and though we have never met I would trust her with my life and more. I reach out for the mirror, my hand shaking, but as I touch it, a black, thick liquid drips down from my hand, tainting the glass. I try to pull my hand back, but my fingers refuse to move until the mirror is nothing but a blot of blackness.

And the fourth man, who should not exist, brings me his mirror. As I look into it, I see grief and rage and misery and madness all at once. And as I wipe the glass to reveal what it hides, a pair of eyes stare back at me. Mine.

The last man leaves and I am once more alone on my throne.

And then I wake.

* * *

Corrin

"…Lord Corrin." A voice calls me. Soft and composed… must be Flora.

"Hey, wake up!" Another voice, cheerful and unrestrained, unlike what one would expect from a servant… definitely Felicia.

I ignore the sisters and turn over, covering myself with the soft blanket.

"Just give me…" I grumble. "… an hour or two… This would be too early even if I didn't spend all of last night reading…"

"That won't do my lord." Gunter chastises me. "Your brother is waiting."

"He can wait some more… By the gods why did I not object when he made our sparing schedule hideously early in the morning."

Jakob clears his throat. "I've taken the liberty of preparing your weapon and armor, my lord."

"Yeah… sure… those won't be going anywhere and neither will Xander in a minute…"

Gunter lets out a chuckle. "And neither will the king."

"Mm… yeah… he… what… what?" I catch Felicia giggling as I roll over in panic. "What was that about father?"

"King Garon will be personally watching over your match with Xander today, lord Corrin." Flora tells me, trying to stifle a giggle, a courtesy her sister has failed to show. "He hears you have been improving and wishes to gauge your progress personally, I have been told."

"Good god Jakob!" I exclaim, practically leaping out of bed, fumbling with my clothes. "Why did I not hear of this? Father will be here! I should have been awake hours ago, practicing! The last few weeks had been one fluke after another and I still couldn't manage to knock Xander off his feet and now you tell me father will be here seeing me embarrass myself!?"

"I did not hear of this either my lord." Jakob apologizes with more amusement than his words would suggest. "Gunter just recently informed me."

I turn to Gunter accusingly as I scramble to take off my sleep wear.

"My apologies, the king made explicit orders to keep this a secret." Gunter says. "He wanted to see how your usual performance is."

"My usual performance is getting knocked about by Xander for a couple of minutes before he tells me I'm improving somehow! Goodness gracious father will have my head… Jakob get my armor! I… what, Gunter?"

Gunter gently but firmly restrain my hands. What does he want? I need to change into my armor, father is waiting!

"I realize time is of the essence lord Corrin." Gunter tells me gently, a half-smirk on his face. "But I do think you should reconsider if you were about to strip off your last garment in front of these two young ladies."

Jakob chuckles as he goes to fetch my armor. What's so funny? What's wrong with… oh…

I notice both Felicia's hands on her mouth as she stares at me wide-eyes. Flora, on the other hand, had the modesty to avert her gaze. I feel a blush swiftly creeping to my face.

"I… uh… sorry about that." I stammer, quickly pulling my sleep wear back up. "Flora, Felicia, could you please… uh… fetch my sword for me?"

Gods that wasn't a euphemism for something was it? That was totally a euphemism for something wasn't it…

"Yes, Lord Corrin." Flora quickly nods and practically pulls her sister out of the room with her. As the door closes, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding as Gunter chuckle at my predicament.

"Next time you take off your attire in front of a lady, Lord Corrin, just remember to be courteous, and do not do so without your father's blessing."

I sigh, taking off my sleep wear once more as I await Jakob. "You think father would approve of me bedding a retainer, much less a servant?"

"Do you have a problem with that, Lord Corrin?" Gunter asks, more seriously than I expected.

"Of course not! Royalties, servants, people are just people and you don't choose your lover. But father won't allow me to leave my house, you think he'll approve of me choosing my own partner?"

Gunter smiles, relaxed. "My apologies, you are correct, of course. I don't know if your father would approve or not, but I can tell you he shares your view more than you think."

I turn to him, startled. "R-Really? How do you mean?"

Gunter smile fathers for a second. "My apologies, my lord, I shouldn't presume to speak for the king. Still… Lord Corrin should consider having more… prudence when it comes to matter of love."

I shake my head. "Gunter I'm locked up in my home, meeting less than a dozen people a month. If you ask me, lacking in prudence is the least of my problem with love."

Gunter lets out a light laugh and places a hand on my shoulder. "Of course my lord, and I do believe that when it comes down to it, in these matter you likely have more prudence than you realize." Again, his smile fades briefly. "But do keep what I said in mind."

Before I could reply, Jakob arrives with my armor. I catch a glimpse of the Flora waiting outside my room and again feel a creeping blush on my face. I quickly put on my armor and after checking with both Jakob and Gunter that everything's in place, I call Flora and Felicia in.

Flora hands me my sword with a composed expression… not that I would know. I can't bear to make eye contact so soon after that whole thing…

After sheathing my sword and checking for the third time that everything's in order and that I look presentable enough to appear before father, I dismiss the servants and head out to the courtyard.

"Good luck Corrin." Gunter calls out, before adding, slightly quieter this time. "Prince Xander favors his right side."

* * *

"Corrin." Xander greets me as I arrive. "You're late."

"Sorry..." I apologize. "I didn't know… Where's father?"

Xander nods toward father's direction, looking more concerned than anything else. "You should go greet him."

Leo quickly approaches me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "You're not that late." He tells me quietly, appearing more concerned than his words would suggest. "But father still had to wait. Go apologize, brother. Appear responsible and firm… that should appease father. Don't… 'cower', as father would put it. You should be fine… He doesn't seem to be in a bad mood… I think."

"Thanks Leo…" I reply.

"Go!" Leo pushes me in father's direction.

As I approach father, I realize how much I needed that advice. King Garon is an imposing person and unless I make a conscious effort not to I would likely "cower." I can still salvage this, I thought as I approach with my head held high and my back straight.

"Good morning, father." I greet, weighting his response.

"Corrin." Father says curtly, seemingly expecting more. Par for the course so far.

"I apologize for making you wait, father." I bow, hands behind my back. "I have no excuse. It will not happen again."

Did I stutter? I didn't stutter did I? Gods I can't see his face. How is he taking it? I didn't stutter did I? I…

"Mm." Father nods. "Go. Xander is waiting."

"Thank you father. I hope my performance today will not disappoint."

"See that it won't."

Thank the gods he wasn't angry. He wasn't angry right?

"Good job." Leo puts a hand on my shoulder. "Did you ever manage to beat Xander? Why is father here today?"

"Good god no! I don't know why he's here. I had no warning! I'd be pissing my pants right now if I wasn't making a genuine effort to not embarrass myself even further."

"Damn… I don't know what father's expecting… Still, it's best not to disappoint him."

"Yeah because there are plenty of ways to make myself look good being beaten to the dirt by Xander."

"You could beat him. That certainly won't disappoint father." Leo answers without a shred of irony.

"You're mad! You've seen our sparing sessions Leo! You know as well as I do how the fight will go down."

"I have indeed seen your sparing sessions. That's why I can tell you for a fact that you have a better shot than you think, brother. In any case if you don't think you have a chance just throw caution to the wind and wail at Xander."

"You think that will work?"

"No, but at least your defeat will look like courage at a distance. Father is less likely to be angry then."

"Geez thanks a bunch Leo."

He offers me a consolatory smile. "You're welcome. Good luck."

Xander gives me a hesitant smile before unsheathing his sword. "You know I can't go easy on you while father is watching right?"

I groan. "You're as much help as Leo was then…" Not that he ever held back before, one of the many things I'm grateful for.

Xander chuckles before composing himself. "Draw your weapon, Corrin. If you fight half as well as you did yesterday, father would be a fool to fail to recognize your strength."

Why does everyone insist on telling me I have a chance?

I unsheathe my weapon. A rare sword in Nohr, all things considered. Nohrian blades are well-equipped for slashing and blocking. I started out using the same during our sessions, but after watching a few of our matches, Leo gifted me a strange weapon on my birthday. He tells me it's called a Rapier, acquired on some foreign land. He thought it would suit my style more, and it did. The weapon is made for thrusting and riposting, but not much use for slashing or blocking. I had a real shot at beating Xander at first as he was unfamiliar with the strangely specialized weapon. It didn't take long for him to get used to it though and next thing I knew I was on the floor as always.

Still, I took a liking to the Rapier and improved my skills with it from then on. My smaller build seems well-suited for the slim yet deceptively heavy weapon. Leo tells me it's a weapon specifically designed for dueling and isn't exactly practical in the field, which makes it especially embarrassing that I still haven't won a single duel against Xander yet.

Well… first time for everything.

I lunge, hoping to take him off-guard. Xander easily deflects the attack however and bash me straight in the chest with his shield, knocking the breath straight out of me. Xander looks like he almost drops his weapon to see whether I was alright before we both remember that father's watching. Big brother shrugged off my first attack and felt the need to check whether I was okay before a second blow is even delivered… off to a great start, Corrin!

Sudden aggressiveness didn't work out, my next few thrusts were more measured, reflecting my usual style when I didn't have to hold back sweat due to father's constant judgmental gaze. I dare not turn to check his reaction.

Once more Xander shrugs off my attacks one by one, but at least this time I get a feel for his fighting style. He does indeed favor his right side, but his left side is no less impenetrable just by having a small shield in place. God I wish I asked for a shield.

Xander suddenly lunge between my attacks and thrust with his own sword. If he did this after my initial attack that would certainly be it for me. Fortunately, I'm confident in my defense and quickly dodged the blow and provided my counter, which Xander predictably block with his shield.

This is how it usually goes. I go on the defensive trying to find the non-existent hole in Xander's defense while dodging his attacks until he wears me down and go for the finish. Xander's endurance is, quite frankly, rather insane. By the end of the session I'll be on the floor with barely enough energy to get back up and Xander would have enough energy left in him to finish a war or two and then have a rematch when I finish catching my breath.

What can one expect? While I stay cooped up in my keep surrounded by servants and books, Xander was out there fighting day to day. Xander has both talents and experience. What do I have? Books and retainers and this damn fortress.

The fight proceeds as it usually does. With me being worn down by Xander's counter attacks and Xander shrugging off every single one of mine. This was a losing fight from the start. Why does everyone keeps telling me I have a shot at this?

Should I have practiced more? If I had more endurance than this the fight would have at least been watchable. What did I do instead? Fool around with my sisters and read whatever Leo brought me. If I had trained I would surely have a chance. Xander was so busy fighting, he didn't have the chance to have what I indulge in every day. This is the expected result.

I catch a glimpse of father as I slowly back away from Xander's attack. His face is as unreadable as ever. He could be a statue for all I know. He has always been quiet before he gets truly angry, I remember crying into my bed each time that happens. He would shout and sometimes he would even hit me. But the worst of it is when that didn't come. Like after my first fight with Xander where I fell after one single shield bash, sobbing as Leo pulls me up. Or when he sees Camilla treating me like a four years old child on my fourteenth birthday. Or when I cling to either Xander of Camilla, crying over inconsequential some matter or another. Father would just look at me and he wouldn't shout and he wouldn't raise a hand and he doesn't even shake his head like he sometimes does. I didn't understand what it meant but it always snapped me out of what I was doing. I could hear the words he didn't speak.

Not good enough.

Who can blame him?

Xander is the definition of Nohrian glory. From what I hear Camilla has her own brigade. Leo is a genius at whatever he attempts. Elise paints a smile on everyone's face whenever she's around, even father.

Corrin is surely defective. Corrin, a man old enough to marry, isn't strong enough to leave his fortress. Corrin cannot possibly be King Garon's child. Corrin doesn't belong here.

Another slash. I dodge instinctively, missing the blade by a hair's breath. I could see the panic in Xander's eyes when he thought I wasn't going to dodge it. Even now he's protecting his little worthless brother.

I look upon Leo, who shows the same concern. He has a hand under his chin as he often does whenever he's thinking, but that close blow must have taken his mind of whatever he was thinking about.

He had such high hope for me too… I'm sure even Leo could have put up a better fight than I could. It doesn't matter that he lacks the physicality, which he does not, his mind always makes up for it. He hones it with his books like… like I do... like he thinks I should…

What would Leo do in this situation?

Analysis. He always stressed the importance of information and preparation. Analyze your opponent. Know their strengths and their weaknesses.

Impossible. I've been fighting defensively, trying to find a hole in Xander's defense. There simply isn't one.

But what if I need to look elsewhere?

Leo always tells me to not rely on my strengths too much, a lesson he admits he sometimes forgets. An advantage when used as a crutch is no more than a weakness.

Xander is talented and experienced. His talent is never a crutch. He works hard and he trains constantly. And there's no way I can take advantage of his experience in battle… can I?

Reexamine your abilities. Know when to compensate for your weak points and when to focus on your strong points.

I fight with a rapier, an unusual weapon suitable for dueling. Its advantage lies in its speed and range, which has taken Xander off guard the first time around. I can't use his unfamiliarity with the weapon again... however…

I renew my defensive thrusts. Xander can sense I have a plan so he immediately goes on the defensive. I don't know if I have a plan, but I certainly have something. However, no matter what it is I can't have Xander be on the defense if I have any hope of succeeding.

Xander is stronger and more experienced. I need to use his experience against him. Experience comes through repetition; repetition comes with habits.

I can use this.

Xander fights on horseback, this gives him a distinct advantage. Right now he practically has a handicap. Horseback allows him mobility… but it also puts him in a certain mindset. His opponents are usually lower than him, as such he blocks low with his sword and uses his shield against other cavalry units. The horse is his lower body in a fight, and now he's without that.

I can use this.

My rapier is a rarity among Nohrian. Xander was unprepared for it the first time but he has learnt to adapt. He knows what it is capable of by now… However, he doesn't know what it's incapable of.

I can use this.

I think I'll take your advice Leo.

I lunge suddenly, unleashing a barrage of thrusts and slash. At a distance it would certainly looks like I have guts. However, to Xander I just look desperate and after redirecting one of my attack he prepares for a slash.

I elbowed him as hard as I can with my off-hand. He is much stronger than I and could likely shrug it off if he was prepared. He wasn't, however, and the surprised look on his face was enough to reassure me that his defense is down… or as down as it can be considering Xander. Let's see if it's down enough.

In my current position, a thrust would be impossible to accomplish before Xander slashes me with his sword. So instead, I perform a downward slash with my rapier down at his shoulder. Xander blocks it easily of course, even if he's unused to blocking high, he has dealt with swords often enough to block a simple slash like that in his sleep.

Against another rapier user however, that would have been it for me. One can certainly slash with a rapier, it's just impossible to penetrate any layer of armor with it. Whether by instinct, lack of understanding of the rapiers or blind reaction, Xander chose to block it when he could have simply take the blow unscathed and finish me off with his sword.

With his strength focused on his arm, Xander push my rapier back. He has exercised excessive force on his upper body for dealing with a rapier.

And that leaves his lower body unprepared.

With my leg I quickly sweep under him, knocking him on his back. As he falls I think I catch something resembling a pride in his eyes. I confirm that thought as I point my sword at his face. Xander drops his weapon with the most satisfied smile I've ever seen on a person.

"Corrin!" Leo shouts, with a similar hint of pride rather than surprise like I was expecting.

"We all knew you had it in you Corrin." Xander sits up. "I…"

"BROTHER!" I yell, hurling myself into him, throwing aside my weapon. "I've done it! I know you were at a severe disadvantage but even so… I wasn't a disappointment right? Tell me I wasn't! Tell me I have a place with you all!"

I couldn't see what kind of expression Xander had, but he was at loss for words. All he could do was put an arm around me. "You will always have a place with us Corrin." He answers, more confused at my question than anything. "I don't know what…"

Xander stops himself, noticing something. Did I do something wrong?

Suddenly I feel a hand on my head. I let Xander go in panic but remains too afraid to move away. The hand was large and rough, with hard smooth tips on the finger. I could almost feel myself being flung back. I… would deserve no less. I'm old enough to marry and here I am clinging to my older brother like a little baby. Father always hated that childishness. I should have remembered that he was here, watching. I close my eyes and await the tightening of his hand before he would yank me away from this shameful act.

But it never comes. Father rests his hand on my head, before rubbing it a little and let go. I dare not turn around for fear of proving myself wrong.

"Good job Corrin." Father says. "Xander, Leo, escort him back to his keep. Bring Corrin to the throne room after he had lunch."

"Yes father…" They both answer in unison, incredulous.

"Corrin, talk to Gunter. Ask for his advice about retainers."

With just that king Garon leaves us. I get up, not knowing what to think. Xander and Leo looks just as surprised as I am.

"Does he mean to…" Xander starts.

"Seems that way." Leo says.

"I…" I start, before calming myself down in an effort to be coherent. "I already have several retainers… Why do I need more, and now of all time?"

"With the exception of Gunter, your retainers aren't as well-suited for direct combat, and I guess father thinks Gunter is getting too old for this… which he isn't." Leo answers. "I think he was testing your strength Corrin… I think he's going to allow you to leave the North Fortress."

* * *

I make my way toward the throne room with Xander and Leo by my side, filled with equal part anticipation and dread. Xander and Leo seems immensely happy for me, and they escort me with more optimism than I could have mustered.

"Corrin!" Camilla calls out, making her way toward me. She seems to have waited for my arrival. "Sweet brother is it true? I hear you are to be able to leave the keep from today onward."

"Xander and Leo thinks so…" I answer. "I'm not certain… At any rate I think father wants me to pick my retainers."

"What happened?"

"Father personally watched over our last sparring session." Xander answers. "After Corrin won fairly father ordered us to take him to the throne room and asked him to consult Gunter for his choice of retainer."

My sister glared at Xander with a considerable amount of annoyance. "Father was watching and you still had to fight fair? Corrin doesn't have the experience and talent you have and father would not have taken his defeat kindly."

"I don't think I could have fooled father. Beside Corrin was clearly good enough. You need to have more faith in our little brother, Camilla."

Camilla bites her lower lip before turning her attention back to me. "Sweet brother, are you sure you're ready to leave the keep yet? Surely you should have time to prepare, be prepped on what the outside world is like. A retainer you never met shouldn't have that responsibility. I..."

Leo quickly grabs Camilla and pulls her aside. I couldn't make out their conversation but it's odd to see Leo acts in such a direct manner, especially toward our elder sister. When he finishes, Camilla looks more concerned than before and even a little apologetic.

"Sweet brother I'm sorry for being such an overbearing sister." Camilla says softly. "I'm proud of you. Whatever father's planning, I'm sure you can handle yourself as befitting a Nohrian prince and a grown man. But always remember that I'm here for you, Corrin."

"Thanks, Camilla." I answer more brightly than before. "I'll do my best. Incidentally, where's Elise?

"Is she with the soldiers again?" Xander asks with a hint of pride.

Camilla nods, a warm smile on her face. Noticing my confusion, she adds, "I'll explain it later, Corrin. We shouldn't keep father waiting."

Camilla joins Xander and Leo in escorting me. The rest of the walk is filled with Camilla's questioning Xander on how I did and whether I got hurt and how father reacted. When we reach the throne room, the queen stands outside, awaiting us.

"Good afternoon, Corrin." She greets. "Garon is waiting for you."

I bow along with my brothers and sister. "Good afternoon, your grace."

The queen here is not my mother, and as I understand it, not any of my sibling's either. If she has a child I've never met them. She has always been polite and courteous toward us, unlike her husband, but to me she always seems a bit… distant. I feel bad for having this thought, she makes more effort than most to get along with me and is unfailingly pleasant but she always seems a little… cold toward me.

Perhaps sensing my thought, the queen forces a smile. "Please, I may not be your… mother, but we are still family. You can drop the formality Corrin."

Still feeling a bit uneasy, I nevertheless return the effort she made to make me feel more welcome.

"Of course, lady Arete."


	2. Chapter 2

Corrin

As I understand it, father used to be… involved with a lot of women. There was always an official queen but he also had a number of concubines. I remember being very indignant when I first learnt of this from Leo. Did father not consider the women's feeling? Could he not imagine himself being forced to share his partner with many others? How could he marry any of them if he obviously did not love them? I remember Leo making a complicated expression. Even back then, he was clever and mature, and understood more than any of us, perhaps even Xander. He told me the situation is more complicated than that, but he assured me that father loved every single one of them… and perhaps that was the problem.

Xander's mother, Caterina, was the former queen. She passed away a long time ago, possibly before my birth, but as I understand it there was much mourning after her death. I understood father even less after that. If he loved this woman so much, could he really stand to have another take her place so soon after? Xander never spoke of his mother, perhaps it was a traumatic memory to him, or perhaps he was too young to understood what he lost. But Xander's mother was the queen. Now that position belongs to lady Arete.

Perhaps I was projecting when I felt she was distant toward me. Perhaps I have always been the one keeping her at arm's length. After all, Xander's mother was always by father's side and the people loved her with all their heart. This Arete woman took all that away. A part of me refused to grow up. A part of me always hated her in Xander's place.

As if sensing my animosity, Leo places a hand on my shoulder. "Did you hear? Corrin defeated Xander in single combat. If father has any sense he would be filled with pride right about now." Leo says with all the enthusiasm he could muster…

… or perhaps it was genuine? Am I the only one who felt this way toward the current queen?

"My my… I didn't think that was possible." Lady Arete responds with what I suspect is feigned surprise. "Is your blade getting dull Xander?"

Xander laughs, and once more I wonder whether there's any feigned courtesy in there somewhere. "Corrin is a Nohrian prince and a grown man, and he has been training every day for years. This victory was a long time coming."

"Too long." Leo says with a grin, which quickly drops before he hastily adds. "Though Xander has been training every day on the battlefield for many more years, I'd say his blade is indeed getting dull."

The three of them laugh at this, even Camilla joins in the light banter. I feel ashamed of my animosity toward this woman I barely knew and avert my gaze. Perhaps sensing my discomfort, the queen cuts the conversation short and allows us into the throne room.

The room gives off an oppressive atmosphere, sparsely decorated yet massive in size. On the ceiling is a statue of a dragon, the dusk dragon. As I understand it the dragon has given us all we have today and for that we worship him for all generation to come. The dusk dragon is a fearsome sight and as a child I've always been scared of it. In the middle of the room sits father on his throne, looking as large and intimidating as ever. Iago stands on his right while lady Arete silently takes his left. The queen gives me an encouraging smile while Iago glares at me with undisguised disdain.

I ignore them both and approach father with my brothers and sister by my side. I get on one knee and bow my head. "I've come as requested, father."

"And not a second too soon." Iago snorts. "The baby prince felt the need to converse with the queen while the king awaits his presence… Any Nohrian king less merciful than ours would have you flogged for your insolence."

Iago licks so much boot the Nohrian royals must have the cleanest footwear of all kingdoms… but for some reason he always had a clear, unmistakable animosity toward me. I bit my lower lip and shallow my pride. "My apology f…"

"I started the conversation." Queen Arete interrupts me. "If you find it objectionable that I should desire to converse with the children of my husband, Iago, you can say it to my face."

"Y-Your grace…" Iago stutters, giving light, humorless chuckle. "I d-didn't mean to imply… Of course if your grace feels the need… feels she should do something, then your grace has all the right in the world to do so. I simply…"

"Iago, shut up." Father interrupts him. I smile to myself, a smile I hope I share with my siblings. "Corrin, arrive earlier next time. You do not need others making excuses for you." He raises a hand before I could answer, signaling that I do not yet have the permission to speak, and that further input on the matter would simply anger him. "Ever since you were born, I've always kept you in your fortress to ensure your safety. But you are a grown man now, and no Nohrian prince cowers behind walls rather than fight on the field. I wished to observe your abilities before I allow you to leave the fortress, and you did well."

"I agree, father." Xander interjects. "Corrin has been steadily improving every day, his victory was well-deserved."

"So it seems. I trust you have talked to Gunter about your choice of retainer?"

"Yes, father." I answer hastily, not daring to believe that he is actually allowing me to choose for myself. "There is this knight called…"

"Just the one?" Father interrupts.

"Y-Yes… just one."

"Tell Gunter he has the authority to conscript this knight into your service."

Just like that? When I heard from Gunter… I didn't dare believe… but here he is allowing me my choice of retainer without requiring his personal approval? Is it a display of trust for my judgement or Gunter's? Either way, I could barely hide my joy. "Thank you father!"

"Each of your siblings have been assigned one retainer chosen by me and one retainer of their own choosing. You should be no different."

One retainer chosen by father? "D-Do you have a retainer chosen for me already father?"

"I've been led to believe that this would be a suitable and capable candidate… but now that they are here… I am starting to have doubts."

"How do you mean father?"

"This potential retainer of yours, they achieved results. They have shown a substantial amount of drive in pursuing this position and they have impressed enough people that I have been led to believe that they would be a suitable choice for my son. Can you take up your sword today Corrin?"

"Yes father." As hectic as the fight with Xander was, it wasn't the kind of fight that would leave me exhausted for the rest of the day nor did it leave me with any sort of injury.

"Did you bring your sword with you?"

"Yes father."

"Iago, go fetch the girl. Corrin, come, you are going to either confirm or dispel my doubts."

* * *

I often hear from Leo and Camilla that father rarely consults with others before making crucial decisions in their place. I now gain a deep sympathy for anyone on the receiving end of that.

"I don't suppose any of you know who I'm about to face?" I ask the others while awaiting my would-be retainer's arrival.

"This is the first I heard of this." Xander answers. "There's little to worry about, though. One of my current retainers was chosen by father as well and I requested a duel to assess his strength."

"Really? How did you find him?"

"Extremely satisfactory. The lad has certain issues but strength is certainly not one of them. Nice guy too. Father wouldn't just let anyone serve his children Corrin, you're in good hand."

That wasn't exactly my concern, but hearing that fills me with some comfort. As one of his children, I should trust father's judgement. "How did you two find your retainers? The one father picked out that is."

"A quirky fellow and isn't the most talented mage." Leo answers. "But he works hard and loyal to a fault. I wouldn't trade him for anyone."

"Headstrong, capable and diligent." Camilla follows suit with a bright smile. "And one of the cutest girl Nohr has the pleasure of having."

Hearing these reassuring words calm me down somewhat. They all sound like good, honest people and there should be no reason why mine should be any different. With that thought I readjust my weapon as Iago beckons me into the arena.

"Good luck Corrin."

"Stay safe sweet brother."

"Remember, your priorities. You don't have to win."

I leave my siblings behind as I enter the arena more confident than before. King Garon can be seen observing the scene on one of the audience's seat. I search the arena for my opponent, and sure enough she enters from the opposite side.

The girl wears a light, flowing robe, suitable for a spellcaster such as Leo. Even from this distance however, I could tell her attire is not without protection like that of most mages.

From this distance I could see why father had his reservation. The girl doesn't have a fighter's build and her attire doesn't suggest a particularly strong or agile soldier. I do not know whether she utilizes magic, but if she does it would not be the only string to her bow. She carries a fairly standard, if a bit smaller than most I've seen. I do not see any tome on her however, and begins to doubt if I have to worry about magic at all. The girl doesn't look particularly feminine and if I didn't hear otherwise from father I could have mistook her for a boy. My would-be retainer is perhaps in her sixteen, maybe seventeen, but she is unlikely to be older than I am.

The girl does a somewhat dramatic curtsy, brandishing her weapon in a flashy fashion, before introducing herself.

"Wren Ulys, at your service."

I return her gesture with a formal bow. "And I'm Corrin."

"Of course, my would-be liege… As I understand it, you have been commanded to assess my battle prowess through a duel?"

There's something in the girl's eyes that puts me on guard. I answer her cautiously. "That was my father's order, yes."

Sensing my reservation, the girl grins. "I see I see… This was unexpected to me as well, and I must admit I am rather ill-equipped to defeat my lord here and now. And see, lack of preparation is fatal for those of my trade."

If she is in anyway lacking in confidence, she certainly isn't showing it with her tone or attitude. "Yet it is the king's command and we are both obligated to do as he orders."

"Certainly!" Wren answers brightly. "However, there is something you don't know here, lord Corrin."

"Enlighten me." I answer, somewhat curious but still mostly cautious.

Wren gives me a sly grin, as if I just bit the bait too willingly. "I hear up until today you have been confined to your father's fortress. Did you find this… objectionable?"

I tense up immediately, something the girl did not fail to perceive. "It was my father's will."

"That's a yes if I ever heard one! Now, why do you think you were given permission to leave today of all day?"

"I defeated my brother in a sparring session, proving my strength and independence to father. I have shown that I am a Nohrian prince like my siblings and can survive in the world."

The girl opens her mouth wide in genuine surprise. "My goodness what coincidence!"

"What do you mean?"

"That your father would come and observe the one sparring session where you achieve your first victory!"

"I am happy that father did not have to witness me disgracing the Nohrian royal bloodline with my defeat." I reply, ignoring the implication of her statement.

"Indeed indeed! But let me ask you a question, do you think your father granted you independence because you won the fight, or do you think you won the fight on the same day your father granted you independence?"

"I do not understand what you are implying."

"Let me put it this way… Do you think your father expected you to win when he came to observe your fight for the first time, when you have failed to defeat your brother for years before this?"

As much as I hate to, I must conceit to her point. "No…"

"And do you think your father would have a retainer ready if he didn't expect to grant you permission to leave the fortress?"

I almost answer yes before I realize that father didn't handpick Wren. He saw Wren for the first time today. I shake my head, trying to understand where she is going with this.

The girl grins with great satisfaction, as if her opponent has fallen for every trap she laid. "Lord Corrin, here's the truth of the matter. No one believes for a second anyone but the greatest warriors in the world has a chance against prince Xander, expecting that of you would just be unreasonable. Regardless of the result of your sparring session today, king Garon was going to allow you to leave the fortress." Wren gestures toward herself dramatically. "And. You. Have. Me. To. Thank."

My mind fails to completely perceive the situation. "What?"

"Ever since my arrival to Nohr, I've been hard at work, achieving a spot as a royal retainer. But what use have your father for yet another retainer for a prince within a fortress? But if the right people were to convince him that having a grown man cower behind walls would looks shameful for the Nohrian royal bloodline, he may consider having this prince leave the fortress… with a capable retainer, able to defend him from all harm. And see… if you impress the right people with the right spots on the king's council, your reputation may reach his ears and he may draw the obvious conclusion."

"Do you mean to say I have been allowed to go free because father has been led to believe there is a retainer capable enough to defend me outside the fortress?" I ask, incredulous.

"Yup! Exactly!" Wren answers brightly. "So… what I'm saying is…" she continues before I can fully get my bearing. "… if your father thinks I may not be as capable as he was led to believe… well... how can he allow his dear son out into the world with no one to defend him?"

"I'm not helpless!" I protest. "I defeated my brother today. I am a grown man and a Nohrian prince. I do not require my father's protection any longer."

"Of that I am certain my lord. But do you think your father agrees?"

"I… don't know…"

"Ah… uncertainty… an enemy most dreadful..." Wren says as if narrating a story, clearly having fun. "But we need not such an obstacle, yes? Your father is already certain of your strength, after all, you defeated your brother. Hence, any enemy stronger than you must surely be capable indeed! Capable enough to defend a Nohrian royalty in fact!"

I tense my jaw, seeing where the girl is getting at. "You want me to feign defeat for you."

"Mmhmm." Wren nods, before continuing in a sing-song voice. "Only I dispute that it wouldn't be a true victory. I achieved victory through information, improvisation and fair trade. I daresay it is a victory most noble, without bloodshed and worthy of recognition!"

Her words take me off-guard. I take a glance at father. Obviously he's far away enough that he can't possibly make out our conversation… Still I can't imagine he would approve of going along with Wren's plan… Xander definitely would not go along with this. Camilla… I'm not sure, but if she was here right now she would tell me to take the easier path. Leo… what would Leo do?

I think I'll do just that.

"I must admit…" I start, more composed than I was before. "Regardless of your prowess in combat, you are certainly clever, Wren. I think I'll be safe with a mind like yours working to defend my well-being."

"Haha… Thanks my lord!"

"But there's still one matter… There's a hole in your logic."

Wren tenses up immediately. It seems she's well-aware of what I'm getting at and was hoping I would not notice.

"See… Let's look at this from king Garon's perspective… If I lose, it proves that you are a capable retainer and I would be safe outside the fortress. But, if I win… well… What do I need yet another retainer for?"

There's a sharpness in Wren's eyes, searching for a way through my line of logic. "That may be so… if the retainer is a strong and capable fighter. If the would-be retainer… say… throw the match, looking like a weakling... Well, beating said weakling proves nothing no?"

I return Wren's grin, seeing through her bluff. "This would-be retainer isn't about to throw the match. She worked hard for this position and isn't about to toss away her chance to earn it. If the battle starts now, she would put up the best fight possible, hoping to convince the king that while his son may be stronger, she may yet be capable enough an asset to bolster his defense. And besides… judging by her posture, she thinks she can still win this fight through more traditional means. And even if it doesn't work out the way I'm thinking, father would be forced to recognize my prowess. Maybe he'll find a more capable retainer, maybe he thinks I won't need one, but sooner or later father will have to allow me to leave my fortress... after all... someone convinced him it would be shameful for a Nohrian prince to cower behind walls."

Wren maintains her gaze for a while longer, still trying to find a way through. Eventually, her shoulder drops and she lets out a resigned sigh, a smile on her face. "I've been told the young prince would be a naïve little thing, incapable of independent thoughts… Seems I still need to work on my information gathering skills."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"No matter! I'll still get the position one way or another! My lord, I have a feeling our coming relationship will be a fruitful one. Now, draw your weapon, lord Corrin!" Wren makes a flashy swirling motion with her sword before giving me a duel bow. "I am Wren Ulys, soon-to-be royal retainer. Let us have a duel worthy of our young Nohrian Prince!"

Swept along by her bravado, I, likewise return the gesture. "And I am Corrin, son of…"

"EYES UP MY LORD!" Wren shouts as her sword descends on me, missing by a hair's breadth as I rush away from her attack.

"You! You would attack your opponent before he even draws his weapon!?" I ask, indignant. I failed to see her attack coming as my eyes were not on her after I bowed and if she didn't call out like that, I think the "duel" would have been a very short one.

"Sorry, my lord!" Wren responds cheerfully, following up with more slashes before I draw my weapon and begin parrying her attacks. "Any tactician worth her salt knows that a well-prepared opponent means the battle is already lost!"

Leo used to tell me the same, but that doesn't mean I am any less offended! I had a whole speech ready to return and she just cut me off! Not literally… I hope.

"Heh… A rapier!" Wren comments. "Truly an oddity around here! You are an interesting person my lord."

I ignore her comment and begin pressing my attacks.

I could see why father had his reservation, Wren isn't strong and she isn't fast. Her attacks have great skill but no raw physicality to back them up, allowing me to easily dodge and parry her slash. And yet… she is giving me more trouble I was expecting. She manages to dodge my thrust even when she is slower and manages to block my attacks even when she is weaker. I find the whole situation baffling, until I realize that there's a method in her defense.

Simply put, Wren doesn't need speed if she knows where and when my thrust is going to come before I do. She doesn't need strength if she realizes in advance which of my attack would be serious and which would be me testing for her weak spots.

I lunge, only to find that she already backed off seconds ago. I slash, only to find that she's well aware that attack isn't a serious concern and apply minimal force. I thrust, only to find that what I thought was a hole in her defense was left there intentionally to allow her to return my attack with a riposte of her own.

Wren is a poor fighter with the mind of a true tactician. She easily keeps up with my attacks and returns with her own, all the while conserving her stamina and wearing me down whenever I thought I found some breathing room.

Multiple times, Wren attempts to trip me up with a leg sweep. She isn't averse to using her off-hand to deliver jabs at my blind spots. She feigns attacks and use the sand under her feet to distract me. A chivalrous knight could cry if he could see this battle right now. Wren utilizes every dirty trick in the book to gain an upper hand over me.

… Unfortunately for her, a clever mind can only take her so far. I fought Xander every day for years. I defeated him today. Every trick she is performing right now I've already used on Xander. There's no way she can defeat me with sheer trickery.

As expected, even if she conserves her stamina exceptionally well, her small frame is very ill-suited for long duels like this. I've already been hardened through my sparring sessions and could go on for much longer, but it seems that swordplay isn't Wren's strongest point.

She's now well aware that attempting to wear me down was a bad idea, as my endurance seems to be much greater than hers. I feel sorry for the girl, because while I could see that she's more than capable of holding her own, from father's perspective, it would be difficult to see Wren's cleverness at work.

Perhaps knowing this, Wren's attacks grow more frantic. Her retreats are longer each time and she dodges my attacks rather than block them. Seeing my chance, I go on the offense with greater intensity, not allowing her a moment's rest.

Panic creeps into her eyes as her heels feel the arena's wall behind her. Not allowing her time to catch her breath, I brandish my weapon and go in for the finishing blow.

Perhaps out of a sense of desperation, she goes for the oldest trick in the book. Wren removes her cloak and throws it at me, blocking my view.

This is a laughably old trick but I never thought I would see it in action. One in every three of Leo's story book, someone throws up their cloak to block the other person's view before stabbing them with their sword through the cloak. I grin at the fact that I forced her into such a desperate trick and step back, preparing my sword for a parry.

… perhaps I should have seen the panic in her eyes for what it truly was...

"ELFIRE!" Wren shouts as my mind does a 180, scrambling to dodge the attack.

Flame bursts through her cloak, burning it to crisp and crash into me. It knocks me off my feet and as I lie flat on my back, I feet a cold, hard steel pressed against my chin.

"Having trouble parrying fire, my lord?" Wren giggles. "Check. Mate."

I cover my face, ashamed of my previous misplaced confidence. "Did you wear a cloak just for that one maneuver?"

"Nah. I just really liked that cloak." She sighs, sheathing her weapon and offering me a hand. "So I'm really hoping being a royal retainer pays enough for a new one."

I take her hand, chuckling. "I'll go buy you a new cloak first thing then, Wren."

"My lord is too kind!"

"Still… I have to ask… for my pride, if nothing else… The panic, the desperation, the exhaustion… How much of that was genuine?"

Wren puffs her cheeks in an exaggerated manner. "The exhaustion was very real I can tell you that. But do you think any tactician who shows genuine panic or desperation has a chance of victory? There certainly was panic, mind, you just didn't see the genuine kind."

"And that magic? You could always use it? Why did it take you so long?

"I'm no good at it." Wren shrugs. "I do adequately, I guess, but not enough in a real fight. My fire dissipates to quickly and doesn't do enough damage. Barely did enough to knock you off your feet as you can see."

"You managed to use it without a tome though. Even Leo couldn't do that."

"Nah. See that?" Wren points at the ground.

I look. Papers? Pages... burned to a crisp. "Huh?"

"Pages I torn off a tome. One time use, I have to make physical contact with it and as you can see the Elfire I used burned it to crisp. Still, it's exceptionally useful for taking a single opponent off-guard. I attached them onto my cloak for emergency usage. I'm not good enough at magic to justify carrying a tome around when I'm going to engage in actual sword play anyway."

Clever bastard.

I pat her on the back. "I think you'll get on with Leo... as long as you don't tear pages off his tome... Dear god don't do that. Come now, let's introduce you to my siblings." She may be lacking in any semblance of valor or chivalry, but my retainer doesn't seem to be a bad person. We may have met less than half an hour ago but I'm happy with father's choice.

Speaking of father… Is he disappointed that I lost? I know I was meant to assess my opponent's capability but would it not humiliate the king if his son is defeated by someone so seemingly lacking in strength?

Perhaps sensing my anxiety, Wren pats me on the back as we make our way out of the arena. "Hey. Cheer up. You defeated prince Xander in single-combat. That's the hope and pride of the Nohrian people, beaten to the ground by my liege. No one with a clear head on their shoulder would mistake my lord for a weakling."

"Thanks Wren…"

As I leave the arena, I am greeted by my brothers and sister… and Iago, who sneers at my defeat in the corner. Camilla rushes up to check whether I'm safe and healthy, and once she confirms that I am indeed unharmed her hostility toward Wren does a 180.

"Aren't you the cutest thing!" Camilla beams, nearly jumping the girl. "What's your name, love?"

"Wren Ulys, at your service." My retainer answers, not missing a beat. "But milady may call me Wren."

"You're a crafty one aren't you." Leo comments, clearly impressed. "Played our little brother like a harp. Granted, considering Corrin, it wouldn't have been particularly difficult."

"My lord gives Corrin too little credits… Is what a loyal retainer is supposed to say, no?"

"Even if Corrin had won that battle, you would have still been a capable retainer." Xander says. "I must say, I concurred with father's doubts at first, but despite your stature, you clearly have an affinity for battles, backed up by more experience than someone your age can be expected to have."

"My lord is too kind. Likewise, I swear that no harm would come to your brother under my care."

Watching it from the sideline, I could see Wren's sharp-mind extends beyond tactics. She endears herself to my brothers and sister by carefully weighting her response against their expectation. If there was ever any reservation toward Wren, it's gone now. At this moment she is treated as a new member of the family, warmly welcomed by all my siblings.

Iago coughs, trying to get our attention. "King Garon has informed you that he would be waiting in the throne room. The girl is to come as well."

"Thank you, Iago." Xander replies with more politeness than any of us would be able to muster up. "Come, Corrin. Let's get you out of that keep as soon as possible"

* * *

We head toward the throne room without delay. The queen is more to-the-point this time around, perhaps regretting getting us into slight trouble last time, and leads us to father quickly.

"Wren Ulys." Father calls out, prompting my new retainer to get on one knee, head bowed respectfully. "I'm not sure what to make of you. You are as weak as you look, and any competent mage would have left many lasting scars on Corrin with an Elfire. But against all odds, you've won. And you seem to have the approval of all my children."

"Your grace has the final call. It was never said that my victory would guarantee the position, only that the duel was to assess my strength. Your grace has seen it with his own eyes, I will accept whatever judgement you may have." Wren answers without a trace of hesitation or concern. But then again if those were there, I wouldn't have been able to tell.

Garon sighs, relenting. Even with what little interaction I've had with him, I knew this would rather uncharacteristic of father. "I suppose that's why Corrin has two… Very well, from this day onward, by my decree, you are now a royal retainer, serving under prince Corrin."

"I swear upon my honor that prince Corrin will henceforth always remain safe and unharmed. My sword is his from this day onward and all his foes shall be mine. Your grace will not regret his generosity."

Father nods, more or less satisfied. "You are dismissed. Head to the North Fortress and ask for Gunter. Tell him of your new position. He will inform you of your duties."

"As your grace commands." Wren stands up, bows and promptly leaves the room. I think I may have caught a glimpse of Wren giving me a concerned look as she leaves.

I soon understood what that look meant as father turns his gaze toward me. "You lost."

I feel my face pales immediately. "I-I'm sorry… f-father…"

"Iago, you saw the fight, give me your assessment."

Iago snorts. "Our boy prince here seems to have gotten overconfident after that fluke with Xander. The girl's little trick would never have worked on anyone else. Clearly this display is unworthy of a Nohrian prince."

Father's distaste for Iago shows, but this time it seems that he mostly concurs. "I had thought you a grown man after you defeated Xander. Was I wrong?"

"Father…" Xander starts.

"Be quiet. If Corrin is no longer the little boy Iago claims he is, he can speak for himself."

Leo and Camilla looks at me apologetically. Their hands are tied, even if they are on my side.

My mind scramble to formulate the best response, but what little patience the king has drains quickly. "Speak, boy. Was what little independence I gave you too much to handle?"

I decide to bite the bullet and, with some restraint, told him whatever I felt. "I'm sorry father… I lost and that is an undeniable fact. I would argue that I fought… well, and I think you can attest to that. My offense and defense were strong and it was only my miscalculation of the situation that costed me the battle… I still have much to learn, father… I don't even know what I'm missing, what I still need to fix… But I do know that whatever weakness I may have, I will not learn of them behind stone walls. Father, I need to be allowed to fall before I can learn to pick myself up."

His gaze hardens, but eventually, just as before, he relents. "Whatever deficiency you may have, at least you are beginning to act as a Nohrian royal should. Very well, from today onward, you have my blessing to leave your keep… as long as you are accompanied by at least two retainers, one of which must be combat-ready."

"Thank you father…" I answer, almost in a trance, not fully comprehending his words.

He looks like he was about to dismiss me, but is interrupted by the queen, whose presence was almost forgotten due to how passive she was up until now. She whispers something to him, more sternly than I have ever seen her act. Father seems a bit uncomfortable, but for the third time today, and also the third time since I have known him, he relents once more.

"So... how are you?"

The question takes me off-guard. I don't think I've ever heard those words uttered by father. My siblings look just as surprised. "I'm well… father…" I answer.

"Good… that's good… The fight with Xander didn't take a toll on you?"

"No father…"

"And the fight with that girl, did her spell leave any mark?"

"I don't think so father. I'll get it checked first thing father."

"That's good…" Father seems to be about ready to dismiss me once more before lady Arete urges him on. He scowls, but go on ahead. "That fight with Xander, you fought well. The fight with the girl too. Despite the end result, you had a clear head and fought efficiently. You fought better than most seasoned Nohrian fighters. That is to be expected of us, of course… But nevertheless, you did well… Your family is… proud of you."

I fail to formulate a response, so father continue without one.

"Get yourself checked for any possible wounds. You are dismissed."

"Yes… father…"

* * *

I was still in a daze when I reach my keep, which father apparently assigned to me as my very own castle for me to do with as I please. Was I wrong about my place in the family? Perhaps I was wrong in doubting father. Perhaps he just found it difficult to express these things.

"H-Hey… Corrin? Corrin! Over here!" A boy I did not recognize calls out as he came out of my castle. "By the gods Corrin you've grown!"

Considering how affable it is, I feel bad about not recognizing him. "I'm sorry… I don't think we've met."

The boy seems to be a bit surprised and maybe also even a little hurt, but he quickly recovers and answers with a sincere smile. "It's me, Silas. I am to be your retainer!"

Of course! I feel even more guilty for forgetting about him. "Silas? Is that the Silas back then? The boy who used to help me sneak out of my keep?"

Silas scratches the back of his head, embarrassed. "Yup. That Silas."

"Gods I'm so sorry for not recognizing you… I even asked for you specifically after Gunter mentioned you… He said you've been training into an exemplary knight in hope of being recruited as my retainer. You went through all that and I… Gods I'm really sorry… It's just that my mind is a bit scattered right now."

Silas pats me in the back affably. "Don't worry about it. It's been years since we last saw each other. If anything I should be even more surprised when I was called up by Gunter himself to serve under prince Corrin directly. I didn't think I was ready but how could I say no to the opportunity?"

"Don't be silly. Gunter mentioned the young knight Silas has been building a name to himself among the Nohrian knights. If anything I should be honored to have you in my service."

"Gods don't talk like that… I'm used to that from lords and ladies but you're my…" he stops himself, horrified. "We're still friends aren't we?"

I look at him, incredulous. "Of course we are."

"I just realized… I'm supposed to be your retainer and… gods I'm acting like an equal. I'm sorry milord it won't happen again! I…"

"Silas, stop! Stop right there." I interrupt him. "We ARE friend. We ARE equals. Ranks and titled be damned." I hug him tightly. "Don't ever imply otherwise."

His voice cracks a bit as he answers, "Yes. Sorry that was silly of me. Of course we are friends. Thanks, Corrin."

"Good." I look at him, pretending to sulk. "Didn't think I need to actually clear that up." As Silas looks like he's about to apologize, as slow a learner as I remember, I ease him up with a smile. "Come now. We have some catching up to do."


	3. Chapter 3

Corrin

"No… seriously… you beat Xander?" Silas asks for the hundredth time in under two minutes, sipping on the tea Flora brought us.

We are conversing in my room, sitting at my table. We were talking about Silas's adventures once he was banished from my keep for sneaking me out once or twice. Somehow the conversation came to my sparring match with Xander and Silas hasn't let it go ever since.

"For the last time…" I groan, massaging my temple.

"No, I mean… THE Xander? Crown prince of Nohr? Pride of the Nohrian people? Son of Garon? Hope of a coming era? Not Xander the stable boy named after the Nohrian royal for good luck?

"No, not Xander the stable boy… Wait, what was that last one?"

"What? The stable boy? I made that one up. You don't actually have a stable boy called Xander do you?"

"No, before that. Hope of a coming era?"

Silas seems to be about to answer before he comes to some kind of revelation. He tightens his jaws. "It's… just a title. There's no deep meaning behind it."

Pressed on by Silas's reservation, I try to coax some more out of him. "In history, people don't anticipate a next era to such an extent unless they're dissatisfied with the current one. Did father miss anything in his ruling? If you know, I could bring it to his attention. I'm sure he'll see to it that the people are treated well."

There's a sadness in Silas's eyes. "You really are pure aren't you."

"Gods Silas, don't be like my siblings. I know spending all my lives behind walls didn't earn me much life experience, but as a friend I'd like you to at least lay off that for a minute. I get enough of it from Camilla, not to mention Xander and Leo. Sometimes even Gunter and Jakob get in on the action as well."

"Sorry, sorry." Silas smiles apologetically, before quickly changing the subject. "So you did beat Xander then?"

"Bang your head on a wall a couple hundred times and you'll probably make a dent or two too." I sigh. "I spent years trying and today I managed it once. And even then as a mounted warrior he was at a severe disadvantage fighting me... and I swear there's magic in that sword of his he did not use. I'd say it's not something to be impressed about."

"I managed to beat the prince of Nohr too and I don't see nobody making a fuss about that." Wren boasts as she enters the room, apparently done with being briefed by Gunter and Jakob.

Silas stands up immediately and bows. "A pleasure to meet you. My name is Silas."

"Are you going to be as much of a stick in the mud as that Jakob?" Wren sulks, noticing the formality.

"Not if milady says otherwise."

"Otherwise. And don't call me milady. Naga helps me, that's really weird…"

"Who?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh don't worry about it." Wren brushes it off and extends a hand toward Silas. "Wren Ulys. Just Wren will do. And don't even think about adding 'lady.'"

Silas returns the gestures amicably. "I hear you are Corrin's retainer as well. A pleasure to be working alongside you."

Wren gives Silas a wide grin. "Likewise!"

With the formalities out of the way, Silas nearly shoves Wren onto a nearby chair. "Gods so is it true? You beat Xander too?"

"What? No! I beat the boss." Wren turns to me quickly. "Can I call you 'boss'? 'My Lord' gets tiring and 'Corrin' just doesn't feel special. 'Prince' is just… Nah that's not going to happen."

"Sure, why not." I shrug.

"Thanks, boss! So anyway, apparently the king wasn't impressed by my muscles." Wren flexes jokingly, causing both of us to burst out laughing. "Made me fight the boss, which I wasn't prepared for. Tried reasoning with him. Gave him a proposition that would have suited us both. Boss here wasn't in the mood for good sense." Wren sticks her tongue at me.

I grin. "I wanted to see how my new retainer fights. Nohrian bonding at its finest you know?"

"Yeah, right. I very nearly lost my position and you could have been stuck with another stick in the mud like Silas here or that Jakob guy. Gods even the old guy was way too formal. Anyway, boss was real good. Got the endurance of an elephant and moves like a hound. But part way through he smelt blood and thought he could have closed in for the kill. That or he was very eager to impress. Got blasted in the face with an Elfire for that."

I groan. "I didn't know you could use magic too… I mean I suspected but I didn't see any tome."

"Not very well, mind." Wren dismisses. "But it did the job, and at point blank, fire is fire, and it burns like hell."

Silas smiles, completely engrossed in Wren's story. "But beside that last bit, Corrin was good enough that someone who came recommended like you couldn't fight toe-to-toe with?"

Wren sticks her tongue out again. "Beside the bit where I won, yeah! But yes, boss was very good. Still… I've seen prince Xander fight once or twice, and if boss managed to beat him… he must have had more smarts than he showed during our fight. Because I can tell you neither brute force nor endurance is going to get through Xander."

I groan. "You got that right… I still can't believe I managed it."

"Neither can I!" Silas exclaims enthusiastically. "Heck if you beat Xander you can probably take on an army single-handedly. I don't even know what we're here for."

"More tea, my lord?" Flora asks, having walked into the room without any of us noticing.

"Yes, please." I answer as Flora begins refilling my cup. "Thanks, Flora."

"You're welcome, my lord."

I sigh. "Drop the 'my lord' part, Flora… You've been with me for years. Just Corrin."

"If that is your command, Corrin."

"Dear gods both my retainer dropped the formality in under an hour. Flora you can learn a thing or two from them."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble my lord."

I feel like tearing my hair out before Flora starts giggling. She's such a tease, I could never figure out whether she's pulling my leg or not.

"Come sit with us, Flora." I say. "I'm allowed to leave this keep on my own now! This calls for celebration."

Judging by Flora's expression, she wasn't told yet. I relish every moment I can put a dent on that icy mask of professionalism of hers. "Is… Is that true?"

"Yup! As soon as I catch up with these guys, I'm planning to make the most of it! I'm spending all of tomorrow outside this damn fortress!"

"I'm… glad for you my lord. C-Congratulations!"

"Heh heh… thanks! I think I'll need to buy a few things though…" A thought crosses my mind. "D-Do you mind accompanying me tomorrow?"

Flora looks taken aback. "Wouldn't you rather have Jakob or Gunter accompany you?"

"Gods no. Jakob would fuss over every puddle in my path and Gunter would lecture me to death. Felicia… the less said about that the better. I would rather have you accompany me."

"Should you not be accompanied by someone more capable of defending you?"

"Yeah, father's order too. But you can defend me. I've seen you train with weapons. You're a demon with those knives... and not just in the kitchen."

No, Felicia is the demon in the kitchen.

Flora takes a long pause. This hesitation is rather uncharacteristic of her, as she is usually the type to accept whatever we tell her without question. Still, I'm somewhat glad for the hesitation for some reason. "If… if that's what my lord…"

"Corrin!" I correct Flora suddenly, startling her.

"Corrin!" She corrects herself, startled. "I mean… yes I'd like that, Corrin…"

"Thanks, Flora!" I smile. "So do you want to stay here with us? We could…"

Flora quickly composes herself. "My apologies, Corrin. Jakob has duties for me."

"Really? That's a real shame… Don't let us keep you."

Flora leaves the room more swiftly than she usually does. I wonder if I'm imposing…

"Nice catch, boss!" Wren grins slyly, giving me a thumb up.

I snort, ignoring the look she gives me. It's a moot point anyway… but I'm in a good mood so let's not dwell on it.

"But you sure you don't want at least one of us with you?" Wren asks. "I mean it's your first day outside the fortress."

"Wren's right, you know." Silas concurs. "We could follow from a distance, make sure you're safe. The kingdom isn't exactly at the height of stability and order right now…"

I groan. "I'll be fine. Gods… you're as bad as my siblings… Don't tell them where I'll be, by the way. Camilla would send an entire battalion to supervise me. And I'm sure you need a day or two to get used to the place anyway."

"Of course, Corrin." Silas answers. "We want to ensure your safety but if you think you'll be fine, we hope you enjoy yourself out there."

Wren seems more hesitant but she remains silent. It seems she really doesn't like me going out unsupervised. Perhaps she relents because she really does have things she need to do tomorrow. Noticing my gaze, Wren quickly brushes it off with a grin. "I guess Silas is right. Can't exactly get in the way of Corrin's first conquest."

I sigh. Having Wren live under the same roof is going to be a lot of fun whenever she isn't teasing me.

My thought is interrupted by a high-pitch call. "BIG BROTHER!"

I feel my little sister jumping on me before I could even get up. "Elise!"

"IS IT TRUE IS IT TRUE IS IT TRUE IS IT TRUE!?"

I grab Elise by the shoulders and hold her in place until she calms down. "Yes Elise, father has allowed me to leave my keep on my own accord."

"On… your… what?" The difficult word snaps Elise out of her excitement.

"I'm allowed to leave my keep whenever I want to."

"YAY!" Elise leaps onto me once more, arms around my neck. I glance at my retainers, embarrassed and hoping for help. Silas just smiles warmly, oblivious to my predicament. Wren picks up on my signal however and greets Elise.

"Yo, princess!"

"Oh, hi!" Elise jumps off me and greet back. "I'm Elise, big brother's sister!"

"I'm Wren, your brother's woman!"

I face palm, seeing the naivety in expecting Wren to just help me out without using the opportunity to screw around a little. "Elise, don't…"

"That's so COOL!" Elise squeals with delight. "Are you like Felicia and Flora then!?"

My face contorts in horror. Silas visibly corpses.

Wren just stares at my sister, then at me, then back at my sister with the blankest, most deadpan smile on her face. "Am I not getting something here?"

I put my hand as calmly as possible on Elise's shoulder. "Elise… Felicia and Flora aren't my…" I cough.

"They're not?" Elise tilts her head in confusion. "They're women aren't they? And I keep hearing they were yours."

"They're my retainers." I answer as calmly as possible, too afraid to expand on what my sister meant.

"So they aren't your women?"

Seeing the situation for what it is, Wren joins Silas in desperately trying to not burst out laughing. I try my hardest to ignore them and answer as clearly as possible. "No, Elise, they aren't."

"Got it!" Elise answers. "So they're your retainers and they aren't women!"

Someone drives a sword through my face already.

Seeing my expression, Elise seems visibly disheartened. "Is that wrong too? Am I not getting it again?"

Silas crouches down next to Elise. "Lady Elise, Flora and Elise are women. Don't tell them otherwise or they'll be very sad."

"But Corrin said…"

"They're women working for Corrin as his retainers." Silas continues with a reassuring smile. "They are their own person but they just so happen to be helping your brother as well."

"That's… difficult…" Elise grimaces, trying her best to comprehend what Silas is saying.

"Do you have a retainer lady Elise?"

"Oh YES!" Elise's face visibly brightens. "My best friend, Effie! She's really strong! And also my best friend, Arthur! He's really funny and nice!"

"How would you feel if I call Effie and Arthur yours, Elise?"

Elise tilts her head slightly, thinking hard. "It'll be really weird. My spoon is mine. My doll is mine. Effie and Arthur aren't like that... Nah they're not 'mine.'"

Silas smiles. "See, it's like that. Just because someone serves you doesn't mean you 'own' them."

I silently sanctify Silas. I don't think either I or Wren could have talked our way out of that. It's probably best to just get around the actual implication of what Elise sand and just stops her from saying it altogether…

"I see!" Elise exclaims brightly. "So Flora and Felicia are just Corrin's retainers! And Wren is Corrin's woman!"

Wren gives me a look that says _Oh shit help me out boss!_

Both me and Silas give her a look that says _You dug your own hole. Climb out yourself._

Wren sighs, patting Elise on the back. "Eh… My lady…. I was joking."

"Joking?"

"Eh… ah… lying…"

"You mean you're not my brother's woman?" Elise asks, almost disappointed.

Wren just winces. "No... No I'm not… that. I'm his retainer, like Felicia and Flora… and Jakob and Gunter."

Gods it sounds even more uncomfortable when someone other than Wren says it.

"I'm also Corrin's new retainer." Silas jumps in, kindly diverting attention from Wren. "Hi, Elise. I'm Silas."

"Hi, Silas! I'm Elise, big brother's sister!" Elise introduces herself again. "So you work for my brother too? Wow my brother has a lot of retainers!"

I wonder why. Elise is half my size and could walk around without much supervision. Even before Silas and Wren became my retainers I still had twice the number of retainers Elise had.

"So what have you been doing lately?" I ask. "Camilla said you've been at something for the past few weeks. What was that about?"

"Oh I've been sneaking out of the castle!" Elise answers cheerfully, much to our dismay.

"Not so loudly! Wren, close the door! Elise, you're not meant to sneak out of the castle without father's permission!"

"But I've always been doing that!" Elise sulks. "And it's so boring staying in one place all day! I used to go visit you to play but Leo tells me it may troubles you if I visit too much…"

I did notice Elise's visits were becoming less frequent these past few weeks. I remember feeling slight relief at the time, as she used to visit me about three times a day, not leaving a lot of room for training and reading. Still it did feel a bit lonely without her over so often.

"You can visit us any time Elise." I tell her. "Felicia would be glad to play with you. Silas and Wren too, now that they live here."

"Can I?" Elise asks, more concerned than usual. "Would I be a burden?"

"Of course not. So where have you been… um… visiting outside your castle?"

"The barrack!"

"Lady Elise!" Silas says. "The barrack is no place for a princess!"

"But Camilla goes there all the time!"

"Lady Camilla rides a wyvern and carries an axe heavy enough to sever a grown man's torso in one cut." Wren points out. "With all due respect, lady Elise, as far as princesses go, even the Nohrian ones, lady Camilla is an exception rather than a rule."

"Furthermore you are too young." I add. "Camilla is a grown adult, old enough to lead an army in Xander's place if she needs to."

Elise seems genuinely hurt by our responses. Tears well up in her eyes as she averts her gaze, not giving us a response. But there's something familiar in her gaze that I dare not recognize.

Wren is the first to relent. "So what do you do at these barracks, lady Elise?"

"Same thing I do when I'm in my castle." Elise answers, sulking. "Bother people who actually contribute. Be a burden to those who have no time to spare for my silliness."

I sigh. "Do Xander, Camilla and Leo know of this?"

"Yes…"

"They deem it safe for you?" I ask, surprised. Part of me was incredibly bitter because Camilla would never have let me pull that.

"… not at first…"

It's not that I don't sympathize with her, but still… I suppose if my older siblings deem it acceptable then all I can do is relent. "Still… why were you going there?"

At this, Elise looks rather sad, but for different reasons than before. "Because they just seem so… unhappy. I wanted to know why… I didn't actually learn why after days of trying, so I wanted to at least make them happier… go play with them or something... I don't know. I just felt like I had to do something…"

Feeling like you are the leftover sibling among your infinitely more competent brothers and sisters, that's something I understood well. I think the others are starting to notice my feelings on the matter so they are trying to step around eggshells around me… which just makes it worse. Still, I would never wish the same on any of my siblings, least of all Elise, the warmest heart the Nohrian people would ever know. She is beloved among the citizens and I have no doubt the soldiers feel the same after she went out of her way to ensure they can be happy with their lots in life.

"I'm sorry Elise." I apologize. "… for doubting you, thinking you couldn't handle yourself. You are a Nohrian princess like the rest of us, and you are strong in your own way. There's a reason our brothers and sisters trust you enough to do this and I will do no different."

Elise brightens visibly, even leaping into my arms for another hug. "I love you so much brother! I promise I'll catch up to the rest of you one day! I'll make you all proud, just you wait!"

There's an unsettling familiarity to her words. I wish I could have said the same thing to Xander, Camilla or Leo… even father… I wish father could have heard the same words out of my mouth. Maybe it will ease his disappointment… I don't know. But the fact that Elise has gone and straight out said what I wanted to say in years means I'm already behind her. I stroke her head lightly, trying to hold back the creeping feeling of melancholy.

"You should come with me sometimes!" Elise continues. "The soldiers don't seem to know you that well! Some of them even doubted you… until I talked some sense into them! But it would be so great if you could come with me and show them what you're made of Corrin!"

I smile. "I think I will…"

"YOU WILL!" Elise insists. "Tomorrow night! I'll come dragging you out of your house and we'll show those guys the gentle Nohrian prince they never knew they had! We are your family, brother, but so is every last Nohrian risking their lives for your safety, and it's our duty to remind them that we care about them too!"

I am taken aback by the maturity I never expected to see in Elise. Her words are peppered with an unwavering sense of optimism and innocence. I really can't beat her can I. "It's a promise then."

"Yay!"

Wren gives me an uncertain look, before coming over to Elise. "Lady Elise, it's late now."

"But I want to stay with Corrin some more!" Elise complains.

"My lady, if it's late and you are not back home, they will start looking for you. If they start looking for too long, they will get anxious. If they get anxious, they may ground you."

"They can't ground me!" Elise says, horrified. "I have to take Corrin to the barrack tomorrow!"

"That's the spirit!" Wren winks. "I'll escort you back to your house and you can be the obedient princess they expect. Then tomorrow come and just they try and stop you."

This convinced Elise, who soon leaves with Wren escorting her. "Good night Corrin! Remember our promise!"

"Good night, little sister." I answer, waving.

"You sure that's wise?" Silas asks as soon as Elise is out of earshot, as uncertain as Wren was. "The Nohrian street isn't the safest and even with her retainers around… I'm not so sure."

"That's why you're going to accompany us tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"… and every day after that. Someone's going to have to stand guard at the barrack every day to make sure my sister stays safe. Get there before her and blend in, making sure she doesn't do anything reckless."

"E-Everyday?"

"Just kidding." I shrug. "One every three days will do. You, Wren and either Jakob or Gunter are going to take turns. My siblings are probably already taking precautions since they let Elise do this but there's never going to be enough precaution to keep my little sister safe."

Silas grins. "And I thought being assigned to you would be equivalent to a life-long holiday."

"Dream on, Silas. I have three siblings and not a single one of them would be in danger if I can help it. I have the most retainers out of them all, it is only fair."

"Why is that anyway?" Silas asks. "I would think Xander would have the most retainers since he's the one who does the actual fighting the most, and he's obviously Garon's favourite too. Otherwise it would be Elise since she's the youngest and most vulnerable. Why do you have more retainers than all your siblings?"

Because prince Corrin is a daddy boy incapable of defending himself or surviving outside these walls.

"Beats me." I answer.

* * *

_"_ Wren"

"Where the HELL have you been?" 'Luna' asks after giving me a slap hard enough to leave my left side numb for a few seconds and sore for a few hours.

"Oh you know… here and there… doing this and that." I answer with a shrug and a grin, trying hard to ignore how painful that slap was.

"That's NOT funny!"

I sigh, giving up on looking nonchalant, rubbing my cheek painfully. "Suppose not…"

After dropping off Elise, I get the nearest street urchin and give them three letters and a sizable payment. They brought the letters to Xander's, Camilla's and Leo's keep respectively, each one addressed to a retainer of theirs. They rush to the bar I picked for the meeting much more quickly than I would have thought possible.

'Luna' looks like she's winding up for another slap and I wince reflexively. She was always impulsive and violent; I should have informed her I was coming first if I didn't want this.

Thankfully 'Laslow' holds her back, though looking just as bewildered as she is. "Hey… Luna… lay it off her a bit would you? We don't know the circumstances…"

And you guys are not going to, if I can help it. "You know what happened when father found me?"

"A-Amnesia?" 'Odin' asks, not composed enough to make it a grandiose story in his head.

"Mhmm." I nod, and it's more or less true too, 'amnesia' is why I didn't show up until now.

"Fuck it she remembers now." 'Luna' shakes 'Laslow' off.

I close my eyes and raise my hand instinctively. The slap never came though. Instead I feel her arms around me as 'Luna' begins sobbing on my shoulder.

"L-Luna…" I stammer. "I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere now."

"You were gone for so long!" 'Luna' cries into me, disregarding the few patrons who are watching this reunion. "We thought you were dead Morgan!"

"S-Shut up!" I whisper. "Wren! My name's Wren! We don't know any Morgan okay?"

Severa sniffs, becoming suddenly obedient. "O-Okay…"

"But I miss you too, Sev."

I give her a peck on the cheek which seems to calm her down. We order some drinks to not stand out so much. It's bad enough that some of these people already heard Severa calls me Morgan. I should probably think of a cover story if someone asks.

"So where have you been this past few years?" Inigo asks, his initial bewilderment now overcome by the joy of seeing a familiar face.

"Offering freelance assistance to Nohrian commanders." I answer. "Unlike you three I'm not strong enough to impress through battle prowess. I have to build up a reputation, and dare I say I did a fine job of it. Tactical advising, information gathering and plain old mercenary services if it comes down to it."

"When did you get your memories back?" Owain asks.

"About a year ago now? Can't remember… Was basically doing low-risk bodyguard works to earn a living up until that point."

I mentally cross my fingers hoping they would not spot the holes in my story.

"Lady Camilla wouldn't stop talking about Corrin when she got back." Severa says. "How she worries about his safety now that he's allowed out of the castle. She goes on and on about how she won't be able to sleep at night unless someone's always watching over her little brother. More workload for me, in the end... So you're his new retainer, Mor… um… what was it again?"

"Wren." I correct her. At least she stops herself in time. Being around Severa can't be good for my heart if she can just let slip my name at any second. "And yes. I'm his new retainer, along with some guy named Silas."

"Congratulations then!" Inigo says. "Why Corrin though? It would probably be easier if you aimed for Elise."

I raise an eyebrow at this. "Because we don't have to protect Elise."

"T-That's a little cold isn't it?"

"Elise wasn't in Nohr when we arrived. She couldn't have been the one we needed to protect."

"O-Oh… that…" Owain says.

"You guys…" I start, shocked. "Did you forget why we were sent here in the first place?"

"Yeah… well…" Severa starts, realizing what I'm getting at.

I lower my voice to a whisper. "Nohr isn't our home. The royals here aren't our family. We have both of those already. One day we'll return to them. We are here to defend the one we were charged with defending… that's all there is to it. Don't forget that alright?"

The three of them go silent at this. It seems they got more attached to their lords than I anticipated. This is concerning...

But that's a matter for another day. "Ah forget it. Think about what I said later." I take a sip of my drink. "Don't seem so down on our reunion. Come on, cheer up."

"I guess…" Inigo laughs lightly. "We tried to hope when we couldn't find you, but after so many years… We feared the worst I'm afraid… We tried to find you, you know."

I grin. "Where's your usual swag, Laslow? You're not getting into any girls' bed being down like that. How's he doing on that front anyway, Luna?"

Severa snorts. "Believe it or not, he's getting better. Still no luck though, his lord wouldn't allow a royal retainer being a shameless flirt."

"Yeah… that sounds like Prince Hunk."

"P-Prince Hunk?" Inigo repeats, incredulous, as Severa and Owain try to stifle their giggles.

"By the gods look at the guy! What do you want me to call him? 'Xander' just doesn't do him justice."

"I'll have trouble looking at him with a straight face after this." Luna says.

"I have trouble looking at him now." I shrug. "Good gods if Prince Hunk had any semblance of interest in girls he could populate an entire kingdom within the year."

"H-Hey! Lord Xander is chivalrous and considerate!" Inigo says defensively. "He wouldn't bed anyone who wasn't his wife!"

Unlike his father, but I'll refrain from saying that out loud.

"Got to remain pure and unspoiled for his lady wife yeah?" I grin.

Inigo rubs his temple in exasperation. "Good gods you changed."

"What's wrong Laslow? Can't handle it when it's the lady dishing it out?" I tease.

Inigo groans, wisely keeping his mouth shut to refrain from giving me more ammunition to tease him with. Gods I miss these guys.

"So how's Pretty Boy handling it?" I turn to Owain.

"Wait… who?" Owain asks.

"Leo. How's he taking the whole thing with Corrin?"

"Oh fairly well I'd think. He's a bit worried but mostly he's happy for… wait… 'pretty boy'?"

"What? He's prettier than most Nohrian ladies I've met." I shrug.

"I-I'll have you know that name is unworthy of someone of my lord's caliber!" Owain protests.

"What would you prefer? 'Beautiful Bloke'? 'Lovely Lad'? 'Brooding Beauty'? I'm open to suggestion."

"Ooh I like 'brooding beauty'!" Severa pipes up.

"Leo 'Brooding Beauty' it is then."

Owain sighs. Tee hee, his antics could never keep up to mine. "I'm almost afraid to ask… you got a name for lady Camilla?"

"Titty Lady."

"W-What?" Severa exclaims. She's always been defensive when it comes to breasts… Like mother like daughter I suppose.

Owain and Inigo both seem to be in thoughts, before nodding in a comically serious fashion. "That's accurate."

"You boys are impossible!" Severa tosses her hands up in defeat.

"Speaking of nicknames…" Inigo interjects. "Why 'Wren'?"

I give him the look that screams _did you really just say that out loud_? He looks a bit apologetic as he realizes what he just said, but thankfully had the smart to let it slides without pointing it out.

"Well… you know…" I start. "It's a bird…"

… just like a robin.

Odin gives me a judgemental look. "That's lame…"

"Shut up! I wanted 'Charybdis' but that would just be impractical and make me stand out!"

"… wouldn't have stopped me." Owain shrugs. I'd be actually impressed if he figured out why I wanted 'Charybdis'.

"Whatever, Odin 'Allfather.'"

"It's 'Odin Dark', I'll have you know." Owain corrects, impressed that I recognize his namesake. Not that it was ever that clever.

I was about to give a comeback before noticing that the bar we are in is getting emptier by the second. It was relatively late when I got Elise back to her home and it was nearly sleeping hour when the others got here. By gods time flew. How I wish I could stay here for just another minute.

"It's getting late isn't it…" Inigo points out, noticing my silence.

"Yeah…" I sigh.

"Why are you so down?" Luna asks. "We could always meet up tomorrow."

I shake my head. "Not going to happen. My liege is going out tomorrow and I'm planning on tailing him until he gets home."

"Oh come on! He's a grown man, he can take care of himself!"

"Your liege is a grown woman." In all the right areas too… "Corrin is a child who just left the crib."

"Come now, he's not so bad…" Inigo says. "A bit naïve but he got smarts and strength to spare."

"He certainly does have that. But he doesn't understand his own city, not really. It's a bad time to be living in Nohr and he doesn't know the first thing about the world either. Look, he learns quick, but I'll have to make sure he doesn't do anything catastrophically stupid, at least during the first few weeks."

"Oh come on!" Severa complains. "He got retainers to spare and as I understand it he beat Xander in a duel! Is he even going out alone?"

"Well, no, but…"

"See!? He got other people watching out for him, too many people if you ask me. Let Corrin have some fun. Being treated like a baby can't be fun for him, even lady Camilla seems to realize that much. If Elise is old enough to be self-conscious about being treated like that then think about how Corrin must feel!"

I groan. She's right, of course. During my short time with him he too seems self-conscious of the fact that despite being far from his father's favourite or the youngest of the siblings, he receives far more supervision and protection than his brothers and sisters. That can't be good for his self-esteem. I feel sorry for the guy (and his date) but the fact remains that he lacks world experience and is full of naivety and letting him go free for the first time without supervision is reckless to say the least. And more importantly, it's our sole duty in this world to keep him safe and I intend to do so.

But man… all this special treatment must be doing some serious damage to his self-image, especially when he's at that age too.

"Wren, trust me on this." Severa lowers her tone once she notices that I'm starting to have doubts. "I know a thing or two about thinking you're not good enough… because I'm not."

"Don't you ever say that again!" I snap.

"But this isn't about me." She interrupts. "This is about our grown prince who people feel needs constant protection when he just wants to leave his house for five seconds. Believe me, this is NOT good for him. Let him gain some experience on his own, build a bit of well-deserved confidence, and, gods forbid, have some time for himself for a day. And more importantly Wren, we want to be with you for more than an hour, okay? Can we have that?"

I rub my head in frustration. Nohrian maids can defend themselves and I'm sure someone like her would keep him out of the shadier parts of town. Still… damn it…

"Yeah alright." I concede. "Grima takes you. You're right. Gods, father would have said the exact same thing if he was here…"

I wish he was here… There are so many things I want to ask. Did I mess up somewhere? Am I being careless with my duty? Am I right for the wrong reasons? Wrong for the right reasons? I don't know… I'm so lost without father around.

But at least I have my friends, how lost can I really be?


	4. Chapter 4

Silas

"Hey Silas." A soldier makes his way toward my table. He's a friend of mine, back before I was taken into Corrin's service. A good lad, older than I am. A bit meek by Nohrian standards but other than that a typical soldier.

"Evening, Jason." I greet back.

"Didn't think we would see you again so soon. You know, after you started working for royalties." Jason pats me on the back. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thanks, Jason."

"Actually what are you even doing here?" He jokes. "You should be drinking tea and attending party with your lord! At least wear a fancy robe or two!"

I chuckle. "That's not how retainers work and you know it."

"It's not? Thought it's all glitter and glamour up there."

"It's nice enough and everything…"

"Has to be… all the shit and piss flow down here. Them lords dunk their heads in a river of shits and it'll still smell better than ours down here."

This is what I was afraid Corrin would see. The common people… aren't especially fond of Garon's rule. "Jason…"

"Sorry, sorry… You work for one of them now. Can't talk like that here, at least not on your second day. So who was it that you are working for?" Jason changes the subject, noticing my discomfort.

"Corrin, the third child... or was it the forth?"

"Sorry… who?"

This is rather typical. Due to being kept in his keep his whole life, Corrin isn't exactly well-known among the common people. "That one friend I talked about. Remember? I snuck him out of his keep while we were young? Nearly lost my head for it."

"Oh! Him. Whose son is he again?"

And there's the elephant in the room. "No idea. No one knows. When he was born no one made a fuss over it either so his actual age could be false for all we know."

"Huh. That's weird… Any chance his mother is that foreign whore?"

"Jason!"

"Yeah… yeah… LADY Arete." Jason concedes, before mumbling under his breathe. "You'll excuse me if I refuse to call her 'queen.'"

I sigh. Queen Arete holds the unenviable position of being both a foreigner as well as the successor to the beloved Katerina. Words are that it's her influence that corrupted the king. I was too young to tell but apparently King Garon used to be pretty fair as far as Nohrian kings go. I also hear that things started going downhill even before Lady Arete arrived in Nohr so who knows.

"I don't know." I answer. "Judging by his age, it's possible. Princess Azura arrived around the same time and was the same age so maybe Corrin is another child of the queen but not Garon's. Maybe that would explain why the king cares so little for him. Still, it's odd that he made a big thing over Azura being a Nohrian princess but not Corrin."

"That's certainly odd… Well anyways, congratulations. You seem very fond of this Corrin guy so I'm happy you got assigned to him, on top of all the benefits of being royal retainers."

"Thanks, Jason." I say. "Actually, I'm here on my Liege's order."

"Yeah? Whatever for."

"I hear princess Elise has been coming here, is that correct?"

Jason visibly stiffens. "Yeah… she has. Did the king find out?"

"Not to my knowledge."

"Thank the gods… The king seems like the volatile sort. Wouldn't want that poor girl to get in trouble."

"For someone so cynical about the royal family, you are awfully sympathetic to lady Elise."

"We all are. Not one of us is saying a thing. She's a good girl, way better than our kingdom deserves." Jason answers solemnly. "… way better than any of us deserves."

"Don't say that…"

"So why are you here anyway?" He starts, clearly attempting to change the subject.

"My liege fears for his sister's safety. He sent me here to watch out for her in case anything happens."

"What? You think we're going to hurt her? We would lose our heads and probably the heads of all our loved ones!"

"It's a legitimate concern, you have to admit." I say. "Regardless of how nice you are, having a young girl in such an area would worries anyone."

"If you say so… You're not the only one by the way."

"Hmm?"

Jason nods to my right. "The building across, on the rooftop. There's this creepy woman lurking on the rooftop. I think I caught a glimpse of a wyvern once too. Scary as hell… she's there every time Elise arrives. We used to think she was waiting to cause trouble for the princess and someone was going to have to take one for the team and get rid of her before anything happens. But she just showed herself to us first, out of nowhere, and warns us to treat the princess like a god and we wouldn't have any problem. Hasn't gone back on her words yet…"

Wyvern? Could it be someone under Camilla? That would make sense.

"There's also this creepy fellow…" Jason continues. "He got the most crooked grin and wears an eyepatch. Not as creepy as the other woman, but he's still sinister as hell. He doesn't lurk, just shows up occasionally, basically says the same thing she did. There's also this younger lad who more or less did the same thing but this guy was way nicer about it. Moot points though, we would never hurt the princess. Not after the kindness she showed us."

"Speaking of that…"

We are interrupted by the sound of a pair of footsteps, one loud and strong, clearly someone in full armor, the other light and giddy, no doubt belonging to lady Elise.

"Elise! Slow down!" A female voice says.

"I'm fine Effie!" Elise's voice rings out as she bursts into the building. "Effie, wait outside please! Heeey guys!"

"G-Good morning lady Elise!" The soldiers answer, almost in unison. This looks rather comical…

"No 'lady'!" Elise chides.

"Y-Yes Elise!"

"Good, let's start where we left off!" Elise darts to a nearby sword before a nearby soldier hastily grabs it and hand it to her carefully. I almost jump out of my seat before noticing that it's a blunted sword. Still, considering her size, it could really hurt her.

Elise proceeds to swing the sword around, making exaggerated whoosing noise, causing a few of the men to chuckle alongside her. She then walks up to a nearby captain and asks. "Hey, Jacob! You're going to teach me how to use this thing right? Right? I have to at least start catching up to my brother! Did you hear did you hear..."

"Lady Elise… I don't think…" The captain visibly hesitates, despite the conversation implying that this wouldn't be the first.

"Whaat!? But you promised!"

"I know… I know… but still, I really don't think this is appropriate. Lady Elise shouldn't be here…"

Jacob's hesitation ignites a concern in the rest of the men, whom despite their previous joy of having someone like Elise coming to spend time with them, now seem regretful of indulging themselves without a concern for the young girl.

Elise, for her part, looks legitimately hurt, causing Jacob to nearly immediately retract his words. "You're just like the rest of my siblings... Little Elise, cutie Elise, innocent Elise… Don't worry, you'll grow in a few years… Just bear with being a burden a bit longer okay?"

"Look, lady E…"

"Shut up! SHUT UP SHUT UP! I hate that word! I HATE IT! I'm not a lady… Camilla is a lady, beautiful, smart, mature. Camilla is a lord too, strong… and… mature… just like Xander… And Xander… Xander is the biggest, kindest brother I could ever hope for… so big I feel I could drown in his shadow even as I laugh myself to tears in his arms. Leo understands how I feel… he understands even when he's so far from where I am… he must be so smart to be able to understand all that. He must be so good. And Corrin… I thought Corrin was the same as I was… and then I hear he's all grown up… I hear he beat my big brother! I was so happy for him but I was so scared! If even Corrin leaves me behind, what chance do I have!? I asked him to come here with me tonight too! Stupid, so stupid, stupid Elise! Can't even swing a toy sword, what am I going to show him when he comes!? I want to show him that I'm getting better, getting stronger! Maybe then father would acknowledge me… Maybe then my brothers and sisters would see me as one of them… I…"

"Lady Elise!" Jacob interrupts her, too afraid to hear the rest. "It's not you… it's us. We… don't deserve this…"

Elise looks like she's about to start wailing but quickly shallows her tears. "I… guess… you have… d-duties… and I'm bothering you aren't…"

"NO! No… Gods… No… We could never think that… I swear to you… I swear to the Dusk Dragon himself… There is not one of us here who doesn't relish in your presence… Lady Elise is bright like the sun itself and with you here it feels as if Nohr is blessed with all the light that it was denied…"

Elise sniffs, but blushes at the compliment regardless. "Thanks…"

"It's us la… Elise… For a living, we do things we could not tell you… When lady Elise left the other day, we felt like we were good. We felt like the world is good. We felt that… if we could make you happy… we must be good. And then morning comes and we put on our armors and we pick up our weapons and we do our jobs and… The things we've done, Elise… I fear that once you grow up, you would never look at us the same way again…"

Listening to him, I could immediately tell what he meant. As a Nohrian knight, I did not have duties as a foot soldier would. I do not have to follow strict orders. But I do get the gist of it. Nohr is a violent kingdom and even though we were not the initial aggressor of the conflict with Hoshido, it's difficult to see ourselves as the good guys.

We are not at war with Hoshido exactly, at least not a full-scale war. But we are in conflict all the same. If it wasn't for the Hoshidan's queen magic, I have little doubt the king would have begun a full-scale invasion. Instead, we have to fight them indirectly. We have to harass and hurt them in order to draw them out. Without being able to enter their domain, we are spared the obligation of committing the classic Nohrian "burn-and-pillage" duty. Instead, we murder any who has the unfortunate fate of leaving their home and send the only survivor back with the corpses of all his loved ones. This tactic has aggravated enough Hoshidan that they make the mistake of disobeying the queen's order in favor of getting revenge. We dealt with those brave fools too.

I have the luxury of independence. I am usually the one who gives orders rather than take them. I am proud to say that I am able to sleep at night and look myself in the mirror the next day. The common soldiers are less… fortunate. The higher-ups tell you to kill, you kill. The higher-ups tell you to hurt, you hurt. The higher-ups tell you to, you burn and pillage.

If you are a Nohrian soldier for a long period of time and you go through this routine on a daily basis, sooner or later your mind is going to have to make a choice: To break or to bend. To be unable to live with yourself and unable to bear the proud look your family gives you, or to do what Nohrians do best.

Burn. And. Pillage.

Elise, for her part, just makes a difficult expression. "Elise doesn't really get it…"

"That's okay… but…"

"But aren't we friends?" The Nohrian princess looks up to the captain, the sincerest look on her face.

Jacob stares at her, not knowing what to say.

"Am I… wrong again?"

"I… if lady Elise thinks so… then we're friend…" The captain reassures her cautiously, too afraid to display open friendliness to a Nohrian royal.

"I hope so… But if Elise is your friend, shouldn't you trust Elise? If Jacob is feeling sad, Jacob should talk to Elise. Elise will do her best! Elise promise! Elise is sad if her friends are sad and if Elise goes home tonight knowing Jacob is crying himself to sleep Elise can't help but do the same…"

"I…"

"I'm sorry… Elise has been so selfish, like a child. Jacob plays with Elise whenever Elise visits but I never thought to do the same."

"It really isn't…"

"Really isn't nothing!" Elise says, appearing more cheerful than ever, and I find it hard to see that joy as disingenuous. "Help me practice Jacob! Show me your sword skills! I'll tell you some of the tricks my brothers used, you'll improve too! Then we'll talk! Not about the things you didn't want to talk about. We'll talk about anything! The other guys here too, if they're unhappy, they can join in! Then Elise wants to drink those things you guys always drink! I promise, when I leave this building not a single one of us will be sad! And when Elise comes back tonight with Corrin, it'll be even more fun! Corrin is the nicest guy! You'll all love him! Come on, Jacob!"

"I…" Jacob starts, likely forming a dozen ideas why this is a poor idea. But none of it matters once he took one look at Elise. His face eases into a warm smile, and it looks as if all the years he spent as a Nohrian soldier never happened. "That sounds lovely, Elise."

And they did all that and more. Elise trained, hard, and she did better than I could ever expect. She isn't a fighter, not really, but by the end of the day she could swing a sword and parry one too. Then they play, kids games mostly. Most of the soldiers joined in. It was a rather comical sight, but no one cared. They were having stupid genuine fun with their princess… no… friend. At one point Elise tried drinking the soldiers' beer, but thankfully Jacob managed to trick her into drinking some fruit juice instead. I can only guess the disparity between royal fruit drinks and soldier fruit drinks are so great that she's completely convinced it's something else entirely. Then after that they sit down in circle and just talk. Nothing specific that could scar the princess forever, but enough that she gets the gist of it. Despite failing to understand the specific, she succeeds in telling them that they're fine, that they're good people, and that they deserve to be happy too.

I wonder why I'm even here. I'm not needed. If anyone needs help it's these men, and now that Elise is here they got all they could ever need. Oh well, it's a pleasant scene to be sure. And being a Nohrian knight, I could use some of her pep talks.

* * *

Corrin

"My lord!" Flora calls out after me. "As your retainer, I cannot allow you to carry your own things around!"

"It's Corrin!" I laugh. "And as your lord I order you to allow me to carry my own things around!"

"T-That's an order I cannot comply with! On my pride as your servant I insist you set down your things this very instance!"

I laugh more loudly. I never expected to hear that sentence out of Flora.

"Fine, you can carry half of it." I set down some of the lighter stuffs. Flora is stronger than she looks, but I want to carry my own things for now.

"Thank you my lord." Flora promptly picks up everything I set down.

Right now we are currently out shopping for things, mostly books, clothing and sweets. I was so thrilled to finally be allowed to leave the North Fortress that I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night. Didn't need it! I feel like I could carry a wyvern out of sheer adrenaline right now. Woo! All hail freedom! Long live the great outdoor!

"Teehee…" Flora giggles next to me, keeping up perfectly despite the fact that she's carrying half my shoppings.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, my lord. Your sheer enthusiasm is just very infectious."

"Heheh… Thanks! Sorry about making you carry my stuffs while the rest of my retainers are having a day off by the way."

Flora shakes her head. "Trust me my lord, they are the one who got the short end of the stick."

"How so?"

"My liege has the brightest, warmest smile on his face I have ever seen. I almost feel sorry about robbing my colleges of this sight."

A blush creeps up my face. "Haha… Thanks!"

The conversation with Gunter from yesterday morning leaps into my mind and I feel my face flushes. Considering father's position and consider the metaphorical leash around my neck still, she is so off-limit.

A moot point anyway. Flora's practically taken. Curse you Jakob, you fabulous manservant!

Then something catches my eye.

"Hey Flora." I say. "What's that building over there?"

"My lord…"

"Corrin!"

"C-Corrin… ahem… it's a tavern, Corrin."

"That's the place where you drink alcohol right?" I ask. "I read about them. Never had alcohol, though…"

"How old are you, Corrin?"

"Old enough!"

Flora giggles. Gods I sounded like Elise.

"It's still early right?" I continue. "I'm going out with Elise later. But if there's enough time I'd really like to try going into a tavern."

Flora takes an unusually long time to consider this. But just as I was about to press on, she turns toward me and says. "This tavern is unworthy of royalties, Corrin. Let's go somewhere else."

I was about to object but managed to stop myself in time. Flora doesn't object to the idea, just the place. I wanted to try the common people's tavern first, but if Flora wants to go somewhere more high-class for my first time I'd happily oblige.

"Leads on, Flora." I beam.

Flora then proceeds to make her way toward our destination. She usually doesn't take the lead in just about anything so I'm kind of happy that she's willing to assert herself little by little. Flora is rarely seen walking in front of anyone and apologizes for every conceived slight so it's refreshing to see her physically leading the way for once.

I try to make small talks once or twice during the way but her response seems a tad short and technical. Is she nervous? Gods that thought makes me nervous too.

Eventually we arrive. The place seems nice enough, definitely nicer than the tavern we saw before, but it falls a bit short of the "high-class locale" standard I had in my head. I suppose I'm in for a lot of childish disappointment if I'm going to expect everything to sound like how they usually are in my books.

Flora steps forth and holds the door open for me. "After you, my lord."

"Thanks, Flora." I enter and pick a seat near the windows. Flora promptly does the same.

"Gods I'm a bit nervous." I say as Flora takes her seat. "Is my mannerism suitable for this place? What should I order. What's the proper etiquette around here?"

"You are doing splendid, my lord. If you would permit me, I can order for us."

"Oh, that would be lovely, thanks!" I answer, leaping on the chance to prevent me from embarrassing myself through my lack of experience. "Oh but get something light… and preferably non-alcoholic."

Flora lightly taps the table a few times. "Of course my lord… Excuse me?"

A male waiter arrives quickly. Wow he's precise and to-the-point, just like an actual butler. I didn't even see him until he was right in front of the table. Maybe I was wrong about my impression of the place.

"Two 'night shades' please." Flora orders.

The waiter simply nods and walks away.

"Didn't think you'd be familiar with a place like this." I say. "I always worried your duty leaves too little time for personal hobbies. I'm glad you could find the time to enjoy yourself in a place like this."

Flora casts her gaze downward. "Y-You are too kind my lord."

"S-So what are you meant to do here? Am I doing good? What if people stare?"

Flora giggles. "There's no one around to do so in the first place my lord."

I examine the room carefully for the first time. "Huh… guess you're right. Wonder why that is."

"Must be one of those nights." Flora says. "Establishments like this have the occasional down times. Moreover, the price here is a bit steep for the common populace."

I wouldn't know what price is affordable for the common populace. Still, it's odd that they build this place here when most people around can't afford to drink here.

"Here is your order." The waiter returns, startling me. He promptly sets down a glass for me and a glass for Flora.

"Thank you." Flora answers, before she takes a sip from her glass.

"H-How is it?" I ask.

"Hmm? Oh sorry… It's good my lord. I think it would suit you."

"I see… That's good to know. Gods I'm not going to pass out and get a hangover when I wake up am I? People keep doing that in tavern in the books I read."

Flora chuckles. "No, my lord, I made sure to get something non-alcoholic. I wouldn't dare allow you to drink actual alcohol without Gunter's permission."

I'm not sure how I feel about that, but sulking would just make me look like Elise again. I take a sip.

"It's sweet." I comment, before taking a bigger sip. "Not what I expected from a tavern… I expected the drink to be rather nasty."

If anything it was a bit plain… tasteless even. I suppose Flora must have picked the safest of the drinks.

"So Flora, what…" I cough lightly, before taking another sip. "Sorry… what are you meant to do in a tavern again?"

Flora does not give me an answer and just looks out the window. It's almost as if she didn't hear what I said. She then turns toward me and asks. "Hey Corrin, family is important right?"

"Yeah… of course it is. Why do you ask?"

"And so is familial duties?"

"Yeah… yeah… they're… excuse me…" I cough again, harder this time. "Yeah… of course they're important…"

Flora nods. "I think so too… I think your personal wants and desires take a backseat to what is truly important: family and duty. But I wonder whether there is cowardice mixed into that thought…" She shakes her head, clearing the thought. "No matter. What's done is done."

I open my mouth to say something, but fail to get a single word out. Instead, I begin shaking clutching my chest. It doesn't hurt… not yet… but I wish it did… The numbness is unbearable…

"Sorry about that." Flora continues. "I thought I picked something quick. You must be stronger than you look. I'm also sorry that I couldn't explain everything to you. But I have no doubt this is for the best, for both of us."

"H-Help…" I manage to squeeze out between painful wheezes.

Flora looks at me, a bit concerned, before steeling her resolve. "You'll understand soon. I hope we meet again after this… but in case we don't… You've been a kind liege and a great friend despite your misplaced allegiance, Corrin, and I'm glad I met you."

I hear the words but I could not decipher the meanings. Flora's words flow right through me, not a single one registering in my mind. I clutch my chest, tumbling to the floor. A few more painful wheezes escape me. At least I thought they were painful… I can't… I can't...

* * *

Flora

I was told the drink would work quick and painlessly, but then I suppose these things can't exactly be completely precise.

"It is done, lady Flora." The ninja states as Corrin loses the last bit of his consciousness.

Lady Flora... That's a title I haven't heard in quite a while. It's always Flora the maid, Flora the Ice Tribe captive, Flora the obedient. Well, how obedient am I now, Garon? You must have thought you were so clever, ripping me away from my family to keep them in line. No more. Both Corrin and I will return to our rightful place, away from this hellhole of a kingdom, where the sun dares not show its face and where the snow dares not bless the land.

"Thank you for your assistance, Kaze." I answer plainly, setting aside the glass of coloured water Kaze served me. "I trust the Hoshidans will uphold their end of the bargain?"

"Of course. Weapons and supplies will be delivered to the Ice Tribe immediately." Kaze answers.

"And?"

"We will also begin launching some large scale attacks to distract Garon from the Ice Tribe's involvement in Corrin's rescue, until your tribe is ready to launch a full-scale rebellion."

I nod. "Thank you…"

The Hoshidan ninja is professional and acts exactly how one would expect a ninja to act. When I sent words that an opportunity to rescue Corrin arises, Hoshido sent him. Considering what an important task this is for their kingdom, I can only assume this man to be a ninja of the highest caliber. I hope he's as good as I think, Corrin better be in good hand. I would be worried as he is the only ninja I've seen around here, but then I remember they are ninja. They would be doing a poor job of it if I could spot them.

"Your father must be blessed to have such a devoted daughter." Kaze comments unnecessarily, uncharacteristic of a ninja.

My father must be blessed to have an heir without a backbone. He asked me to send letters as soon as an opportunity arises and I did so dutifully as the heir of the ice tribe. Then I stayed up all night, going through his many letters detailing plans to have Corrin rescued. This was simply the most convenient one. This "bar" has been a Hoshidan hideout for a long time now and at father's order I familiarize myself with the place years ago in preparation for an event such as this. At least I didn't have to betray Corrin. Both of us can now escape from Nohr, back to our family. Let's hope his treats him with more love than mine does. Whatever his real family happens to be, they have to be in a better place than Nohr.

"What about Felicia?" I ask.

"We can extract her from the North Fortress today if you wish."

I shake my head. "No… Felicia is clumsy and foolish, but she is also surprisingly strong and insightful. Using force would be too risky. I will draw her out myself. Kaze, can you do me one more favor?"

"Depends on the favor, lady Flora. But I hope I can."

"Lend me one of your men. Do you have anything that would allow you to knock her out at a distance?"

"I believe our dart blowers can accomplish that task."

"Good… Neutralize her once we leave the castle. When she wakes up, I'll convince her that we are being hunted and that Corrin was kidnapped and we have to escape from our pursuers to help our liege. She will listen to her sister and we will return to the Ice Tribe first and foremost for safety and an opportunity to plan our next course of action. I'll worry about the rest when we get to my tribe. Can you assist me with this, Kaze?"

Kaze bows. "Of course, lady Flora. This is a small favor in return for rescuing our prince. We hope all goes well for you and your tribe."

"Thank you, Kaze. And likewise."

I take one last look at my liege. He looks so peaceful. Corrin wears this face whenever we come to wake him up. Such innocence, such purity… I hope he can keep them for longer than I could.


	5. Chapter 5

Corrin

Xander… Camilla… Leo…

… Elise…

Help me… I don't know where I am… but I know I'm not home… Bring me back… It's so hot here… so quiet…

"_her!" A woman voice calls out... something I can't quite make out…

"C_! My s_!" Another voice… so loud… so unfamiliar….

"Corrin! Get a hold of yourself!" A man's voice… much louder, much clearer… such authority… He sort of reminds me of Xander…

"T_ d_... it should_ _ve… human biology _ tested…." Yet another's voice, this one a man…

"B_... Corrin is not…" The woman's voice again, showing increasing concern for the situation.

They sound so distressed… so much panic…

If my head was clear enough to assess the situation, I would continue to feign unconsciousness. After all, for all I know, I was poisoned and abducted. However, in my dazed state, I unthinkingly sit up in my bed.

"H-Hello…" I greet unthinkingly, before interrupting myself with a painful cough.

"Corrin!" The second woman practically suffocates me. "Sweet child… If you had… If you hadn't woken up…"

"Step back mother!" A man calls out, nearly reaching for his bow. "We don't know him! Please let us handle this!"

"Takumi!" The first man shouts. "Do NOT touch your weapon! He is our brother!"

Takumi clicks his tongue, before relenting. "You are responsible for whatever the Nohrian does next, Ryoma…"

"Corrin is NOT Nohrian!" The first woman shouts back.

"D-Do I get a say in this?" I ask, with a clearer head now that the constant headache clears out.

"Of course, sweet child…" The mother says, holding me even tighter. "It's alright now… You're home… We have all the time in the world…"

"Lady Mikoto!" The second man calls out. "Please… We are not certain how safe Corrin is. He reacted unpredictably to the drink, we need to ensure he's safe now."

"Of course… Of course…" Lady Mikoto lets go out of me, almost in panic. "Please, Kaze… Make sure Corrin is safe."

"I-I can help, mother…" A girl offers, barely a year older than Elise.

"With all due respect, lady Sakura, this will be easier if I can do this by myself." Kaze answers as gently as he can.

"Of course… I-I'm sorry..." Sakura nearly shrinks as she answers.

Kaze looks as if he wants to reassure her, but decided it's best to take care of me as quickly as possible. He asks me to do a thing or two, asks me a few questions and checks my body temperature. When he's finally satisfied, he immediately backs off and gets on his knees. He bows deeply before me, his forehead nearly touching the floor.

"I'm so sorry my lord… We tested the chemicals many times. We had our people confirm that it would be harmless and painless on humans. I do not know how we could have made this mistake. Please forgive them my lord, I take full responsibility."

I just stare at him, not sure how I should respond to my captor acting this way… captor?

"It's alright Kaze…" Lady Mikoto reassures him. "It isn't your fault. There were… complications you are not aware of. I should have known…"

Kaze looks as if he wants to question her but decides against it. But more importantly…

"You…" I start. "You were the waiter… at… that place. You served me and Flora drinks, correct?"

"That is correct, my lord." He answers. "Again, I must…"

"W-Where's Flora?" I interrupt him.

"The Heir of the Ice Tribe is safely back at her home."

Thank the gods… but... "Ice tribe what?"

Lady Mikoto jumps in. "This isn't the time, Corrin… Kaze, please leave us."

"Of course, your grace." The ninja bows deeply before exiting the room.

"Oh sweet child…" Lady Mikoto embraces me once more. "I was so afraid this day would never come… My Corrin… Sweet Corrin…"

Unsure of what to do with this display of… affection from my… captor. I just sit on my bed, dumbstruck. The lady seems so happy I feel it would be cruel to question the situation right now, so I simply, with some hesitation, put my arms around her. Lady Mikoto takes a sharp breath at this, her voice nearly choking. "Thank you my child… thank you…"

Wait what?

"I-I beg your pardon?" I say.

"Corrin… this may be difficult to take in right now… but I am your mother." Lady Mikoto says, letting go of me. "This is your true family, welcome home, my son."

This woman is… my mother? Then her and… my father… isn't she the Hoshidan queen? I don't even…

Noticing my confusion, Ryoma jumps in. "You must understand, up until this point, you were deceived. The Nohrian kidnapped you, imprisoned you and lied to you."

Whereas before I was only confused, now I am offended. "Lies! My father would never… As a Nohrian prince, I will not allow you to slander my family!"

They look taken aback, a mixture of both shock and sadness… with one exception.

"You see mother!?" Takumi says, his hand clearly wishing to reach for a weapon. "It is as I suspected! He said it himself! He's not one of us!"

"TAKUMI!" Ryoma chastises him, before turning back to me. "Your reaction is… understandable… but please believe us when we tell you that this is the truth: The Nohrians are your captors and deserve none of your loyalty. For years we have been trying to rescue you. We have resorted to methods that disgust us, pillaging, blackmailing, even kidnapping, but we regret nothing. You are of our family, Corrin, and we would do anything to have you back."

I do not believe him for a second, but I cannot doubt his sincerity. I glare at them, but not daring to strike in their homeland. The peace treaty between Nohr and Hoshido, if one can even call it that, is fragile enough as it is. It may be best if I play along until I can escape.

"Corrin." Lady Mikoto says. "I… suspect something. Do you trust me?" She reaches out for my face, but stops herself inches away, awaiting my approval.

I am not sure if I can even object. I am technically their prisoner, and I do not see them relenting if I say otherwise. But more than that, I cannot imagine this woman being malicious or deceptive. Like Ryoma, I do not believe what she is claiming, but I am certain she does. I simply nod.

"Thank you so much…" The lady says, before touching my face.

I do not know how to describe the feeling. It feels like my mind was being tampered with, but at the same time, it feels as if there has always been something tampering with it up until now, and lady Mikoto is removing it. It is not… a pleasant sensation.

* * *

Corrin

"Garon! What is the meaning of this!" A man asks, reaching for a weapon. I know him, even if we have never met. I know him as one knows things in a dream: No evidence, no logics, but with the kind of certainty that neither of those things could have provided. I know the man is called Sumeragi, the Hoshidan king. I know he is a samurai without equal. I know he is a kind and loving man to his family, even his adopted one. And I know that he I my father.

"Impossible! Garon is my father! Lies!" I shout, but no one hears my words. I am here, yet I am not. The Nohrian Prince, Corrin does not exist at this point, but there is still a boy, too young to comprehend what is happening, who holds the same name.

Garon, the man who will be… who IS… my… father… simply stares back. His face hard, but not as I know it. Garon… my father… has always been a hard man. I always wondered whether he wore a mask, whether underneath the mask he truly cared. I do not have an answer for that question, but I do know that at this moment, he wears no mask to hide his shame.

F-Father merely grunts in response. He raises his hand, sending a signal. All around me and Sumeragi, archers aim their bow straight at us… him… ready to fire any second.

"Garon! I came alone, in peace!" Sumeragi refuses to back down, covering me with his entire body. "I had hoped to foster an alliance between our kingdom! I brought my child, as you asked! The same blood flow through our wives! And you greet me with… THIS! How do you call yourself a man!? At least fight me, if you wish for my life! What king hides behind his men while keeping his hands clean?"

Garon seems like he's about to reach for his weapon, but a hand rests on his shoulder. He turns to see his… wife… queen Arete… who gently shakes her head.

Lady Arete whispers something to him, her face blank. Garon merely nods, unsatisfied but understanding.

"Step aside, Sumeragi…" Garon commands. "Give us the boy and we will spare you. I had hoped to best you in combat, but this must be done."

"Corrin? What do you want with him?" Sumeragi asks.

Garon sighs. "I don't know… But my wife does, and that's all I need."

Lady Arete looks upon Sumeragi. "My sister went to Hoshido for a reason. She belongs there. Her heart is pure and gentle. But for the good of all, Corrin must be a Nohrian prince, merciless and strong. We will strike back, one day, and to do so, we need Corrin."

"Strike back? Strike back at who?" Sumeragi asks.

For the first time, lady Arete wears a pained look. "I regret that I cannot tell you. I am sorry. Step aside, Sumeragi."

Sumeragi draws his sword. "NEVER!"

And no sooner did arrows descend on him. He holds on, far longer than any man should be able to. But after far too long, he falls, his blood drenching the ground.

Queen Arete steps over Sumeragi's body, Garon by her side. She approaches me as I fall back in fear. She reaches out for me, picking me up.

"I am so sorry…" Her voice nearly cracks. "Dear sister… I'm sorry… first your love, then your son… And you, child… I'm sorry… You don't have to forgive me, child, but one day… I hope you understand… if not… gods help us all…"

Then she reaches for my face and mutters some words I couldn't make out… or more likely I couldn't understand. It felt as if a wall of mist washes over my mind and my memories leave me by the second. It's a strange sensation… not uncomfortable but undeniably… unpleasant. My mind is… was tampered with by just one touch and a few words. And now that mist clears and I see my past for what it is.

* * *

Corrin

I jump back as soon as the vision clears, putting as much distance between myself and the sorceress as possible.

Lady Mikoto looks legitimately hurt. "Corrin… please…"

"What did you do!?" I say, bare able to hold back my voice. "What the hell was that!?"

"The truth, Corrin." Ryoma answers. "The Nohrian queen must have clouded your mind to hide from you from what really happened."

"Impossible! Father would never…"

Takumi grabs his bow and nocks his… arrow immediately. "OUR FATHER DIED PROTECTING YOU YOU UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT! It would be justice if I put a hole between your eyes right now…"

"PUT. THAT. DOWN!" Ryoma orders.

Takumi looks like he's about to cry. His arrow… if one could even call it that… was like a bolt of lightning he conjured as the string is pulled. When he finally relents, the "arrow" simply evaporates into thin air. Takumi throws his bow over his shoulder and storms out of the room in silence.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that…" Lady Mikoto tells me. "I will speak with him… but please try to understand his feeling."

I nod, feeling a bit guilty myself. Because if that was no trick… I just spat on my father's grave after he gave his life for me.

"I'm sorry… I need… some time…" I answer. "I'm sorry about saying all that… I'm sorry you lost your husband… but I cannot find it in me to believe this story… not yet…"

Lady Mikoto and her children looks saddened and surprised. But she chooses to answer gracefully. "Of course, my… Corrin. Take all the time you need. You are with us now and that's all we could have hoped for."

"Thank you, lady Mikoto…"

* * *

"Wren"

"Where. Is. Corrin!?" The king bellows, causing me and my college to shrinks even lower.

Nice going, Morgan. First day on the job and your liege got snatched right under your nose.

I and Silas are on our knees, our gaze fixed at the floor, not daring to meet Garon's look. Queen Arete stands to his left, looking down at us coldly, though I dare say there's genuine concern in her eyes. The other guy… whatever his name was… the crooked advisor stands on the other side, looking as smug as ever, though possibly less so after his king shows genuine rage. All of Corrin's siblings are present, Xander trying to keep calm, Leo trying to figure out a solution, Camilla looking somewhere between a mental breakdown and an unstoppable rage rivalling Garon's. Jakob and Gunter were deemed to be without blame and were sent to look for clues as to Corrin's whereabouts. It's us two new retainers who are getting the brunt of the blame for Corrin's disappearance, and not without good cause…

"I do not know your grace." Silas answers first. "He was already missing when I returned to the North Fortress."

"And where were you when Corrin disappeared." The queen questions.

"A-At the barrack your grace."

"What were you doing there?"

Silas bites his lower lip. Of course I know why he was there. Corrin assigned him there to watch over his sister. Silas told me so that I would know that he wouldn't be able to defend Corrin at that time… but having already made arrangement with the others, I soundly ignored this fact. Stupid stupid stupid stupid. Father would never have made this mistake.

"I… thought I could catch up with the other soldiers, your grace." Silas answers, preparing for the worst.

"You WHAT!?" Garon roars.

I turn to him, giving him a _'what?'_ look. Silas avoids my stare. Of course… Elise sneaks out without the king's permission. He could not have told them she was there and he was watching over her under Corrin's order. Grima takes me… I should have known. I should have come up with an excuse for him.

"First day on the job, Silas." The queen reminds him coldly. "If Corrin isn't returned to us within the week, you may not have a head on your shoulders."

"I'm sorry your grace. It won't happen again." He answers.

"And you, Wren?" The queen questions me, something I'm grateful for. If Garon had, I'm not sure I would have had the composure to formulate a proper answer. Come on, Morgan, think of something… Unlike Silas, you actually fucked up. If I give a poor answer I'm certain I won't survive to rectify this blunder.

"I was assessing the security of the North Fortress, your grace." I answer with all the calmness I can muster. "I intended to get to know the place and all its weaknesses so I can better defend my lord."

Garon looks like he was about to shout, but the queen answers first. "A fair course of action, considering your position. But you should have known Corrin was leaving the fortress on his own and required protection."

I immediately latch onto this. "He was not alone, your grace. Flora was with him."

"Who?" Garon asks. Iago whispers something to the king. "The ice tribe girl? Wasn't she a maid? I thought the maids were at the fortress."

"Her sister was, your grace. Flora accompanied Corrin. I should have known she wouldn't be enough. I am sorry your grace. It won't happen again."

"I'll make sure of that, one way or another…" Garon answers.

"Wait… where's Flora?" Leo asks.

"She was not found my lord." Silas answers. "It seems whoever took Corrin took her too… or worse…"

This draws my attention. "Where's Felicia?"

"Also missing."

But she was stationed at the fortress. Unless…

"Your grace… I know I'm in no position to ask…"

Garon looks like he was about to agree before lady Arete whispers something to him. "Speak. Make it good." He says.

"The ice tribe… How are they doing?"

Garon goes silent at this, seemingly understanding what I'm implying. If Flora disappears after Corrin's disappearance, a fair assumption would be whoever took him "dealt" with her. But, if her sister, who was not there when it happens also disappears, that's either a strange coincidence, or the ice tribe sisters are assisting whoever took Corrin away. Could they be the ringleader, the ice tribe? I suppose that's possible, ransom the Nohrian prince for the independence they want so much.

Leo immediately catches on. "I'll send my people to observe for any anomalies within the Ice Tribe and to see if Flora and Felicia are there, father."

"I will do the same." Camilla chimes in, regaining her composure.

"Do so." Garon nods, and the two immediately departs. "Elise, return to your room."

"But…" she starts.

"Go. Daddy's not in the mood."

"O-Okay…"

"Xander. Prepare the men." Garon says. "We are marching by the end of the day."

"Of course, father." Xander answers and quickly leaves.

"And you two…" Garon looks straight at us. "If this lead turns out to be the right one, you may keep your head. If not, I'll take them myself, and I'll send them back in a box to your family as gratitude for the service you have provided my family. Is that clear?"

"Yes your grace." We answer in unison, wisely omitting our personal feeling.

Naga helps us all.

* * *

Corrin

"My name is Corrin, a pleasure to make your acquaintance." I bow awkwardly, ignoring the fact that they already know my name. Gunter and Jakob both drilled the importance of formality into my head at a young age and there's not a thing my situation can do that would make me forget that.

Ryoma, for his part, seems rather impressed with the properness of my behavior. "And I am Ryoma, your eldest brother. I will do all that is within my power to ensure that you are safe and welcome with your family."

Ryoma's sister, the elder one, seems uncomfortable with the tone we have, but she follows Ryoma's lead regardless. "M-My name is Hinoka. I am your… um… elder sister. I will also do all that I can to ensure that I do not fail you again."

"Fail me again?" I ask.

"When the Nohrians took you away, Hinoka blames herself." Ryoma explains. "She has tried many time to rescue you on her own. Please, one day show her the gratitude and affection she deserves."

"Oh wow…" I fail to come up with an appropriate comeback. Clearly one overprotective elder sister isn't enough for me. For some reason I dread the day these two meet.

"Um… H-Hi…" Sakura starts. "M-My name is Sakura… I'm your youngest sibling… I-I will also do my best to p-protect you."

This is the first time we speak, but there's something about her mannerism that compels me to trust her, even more so than the others. I hold out my hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Sakura. Whatever happens next, I hope we get along."

"T-Thank you!" Sakura shakes my hand shyly, clearly doubting whether she's performing the correct etiquette for the situation.

"Come." Ryoma gestures toward the door. "Let's properly introduce you to Takumi. I'm sorry about his behavior. I will not try to excuse his actions, but please understand. Takumi's feelings, while misplaced, are hardly worthy of blame."

"Of course." I answer as we follow Ryoma's lead. "I'm sorry about being insensitive back there. I've hurt your feeling by demeaning your father's sacrifice."

"Ours." Ryoma corrects.

"R-Right."

At least he doesn't seem mad.

I squint reflexively as we step out of the building. I cover my face with my hand, nearly falling back in surprise.

"W-What the hell is that?" I ask.

The others just look at me questioningly. Then they look in the direction I was looking at before I cover my own face. Then they had a chuckle among themselves.

"Corrin... that's just the sun." Ryoma answers.

"O-Oh..."

I did read of it, this thing called the sun. Supposedly it emits light during day time and disappears during night time. I was always curious about such a strange object but unfortunately Nohr's geology means that it is blocked off from any sunlight. As I understand it, the sun is vital for farming, which may explain why the common populace always seems short on food. The fact that the sun shines so brightly here must be one of the many sources of resentment Nohr has for Hoshido. I wonder if that's why our kingdoms are on poor term right now. Surely, Hoshido has supplies to spare.

"You've never seen the sun?" Hinoka asks, still amused at my reaction.

"No... It's so bright... Gods it must be nice if the sky itself stops you from oversleeping."

"Didn't stop all of us." Ryoma chuckles.

Probably couldn't stop me if it tried.

Finally getting used to this strange, bright thing in the sky, I continue walking with the others. We make small talks for a while, with me asking about the many things we see (what strange architecture! Where are the stones? How are there so much woods? Is that the Dawn Dragon?) and them answering to the best of their ability, never ceasing to be amused at my curiosity at the most mundane things. There's a formality between us still that stop us from feeling like a true family, but much as I hate to admit it, I could become family to these people just as I did to my Nohrian brothers and sisters. There's a strangeness to that thought, I am reminded of a dream I had before. While I can't remember the dream itself, it leaves a strange taste in my mouth.

Eventually our conversation drifts toward Nohr.

"So… as I understand it, you claim that king Garon kidnapped me when I was a child and erased my memories, correct?" I ask.

"We claim that the Nohrians kidnapped you, but it seems mother's magic revealed that Garon was there himself."

"Wouldn't surprise me…" Hinoka grumbles angrily.

"What else can you tell me?" the Hoshidan queen asks. "We know only what we learned from the reports. You were there yourself and all I did was clear away the spell they put on you. Please tell us anything you can about the incident."

I consider my words carefully. I still cannot fully believe their story, but even I must admit what they are saying is convincing. I do not wish to disclose information to an enemy, but if they are playing trick to me, there's no reason they would not know what I saw. If what they showed me was the truth, then I too wish to understand why father… Garon… did what he did.

"The queen was there…" I answer.

"Queen Katerina?" Hinoka asks.

"K-Katerina passed away before Corrin was kidnapped." Sakura points out.

"Queen Arete…" Ryoma says.

Then something catches my attention. "Queen Arete… she says… Lady Mikoto, are you… by chance… the queen's sister?"

Queen Mikoto nods. "Didn't stop her from killing my husband and stealing my child though…" she says with more bitterness than I thought her capable of.

"Mother… it must be Garon… he must be forcing us somehow!" Hinoka tries to comfort her mother.

"I'm sorry… You're right… That must be what happened…"

I did not have the heart to tell her that from what I've seen, it seems that it's lady Arete who wanted my capture. She looked so sad then… as did father, in his own way. It was likely her who put the spell on me. If it is true… I must ask them myself. They must have their own reasoning.

Perhaps that is the true root of my discomfort around the queen. I always thought what I felt was anger toward her replacing Xander's mother. In my more honest moments, I suspected her to be my mother since all my siblings were from different women and lady Arete had no children. I must have thought she could have been the mother I never had but out of cruelty treated me like a stranger in her own home. Childish thoughts… Perhaps I never resented her… Perhaps I simply feared her… She killed my biological father and took me away… I wonder what father's role in all this is… i-if it's even true.

"B-Brother…" Sakura calls me. "Are you… okay? You looked very sad…"

I put on the brightest smile I could manage. "I'm fine, Sakura! Look, that must be Takumi."

And there he is, putting more arrows in his target than I thought possible within the time it took for us to get here. He notches, draws, fires with such precision and elegance that I can't help but be in awe with his skills. Takumi seems to be using actual arrows, firing from an ordinary bow unlike before where I could have sworn the arrow was physical light somehow. I can see his other, beautifully made and most likely magical bow nearby. I approach him before Ryoma could draw his attention and wait for him to fire his last arrow.

"Hey." I say, which he seems to ignore as he reaches for another arrow. "Eh… sorry about what I said before. I did not consider your and your family's feelings when I spoke. I apologize about the loss of your father. Regardless of what happens from now, I hope we can get along."

Takumi doesn't answer me immediately, opting to put another two arrows on his target before turning my way. "Right."

"Takumi…" Ryoma starts.

Takumi huffs, before extending his hand. "I'm only doing this for mother, okay? Don't think for a second that this means I trust you."

I take his hand and offer a smile. "Thank you. I mean it. You seem like an exemplary son, looking out for your mother and defending your father's honor. I hope I can count you among my friends one day."

He snorts, but didn't refuse.

Good gods he'll get along with Leo.

"Sorry about Takumi… he can be a bit…" Ryoma starts.

"It's okay, really." I say. "I can understand… wait… what's that?"

I stop myself, having heard something… someone. A voice, feminine and nearly magical… Takumi resumes his shooting, making it a bit difficult to make out, but the voice is most definitely singing.

"Azura…" lady Mikoto smiles.

I approach the voice, with the others behind me. It is truly a beautiful voice, though the melody seems a bit melancholy. It is an enchanting song, and as I find the owner of the voice, singing by herself in front of a beautiful lake, I feel compelled to wait for her to finish.

"Is she your sister?" I ask Ryoma, quietly as to not interrupt the girl.

"Yes." Ryoma answers without missing a beat.

"She may not be of our blood, but she is family." Hinoka says.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

Lady Mikoto sighs. "Azura is… a Nohrian princess."

"No way… now that I think about it, there's a strong resemblance… She can't be… She can't be lady Arete's child, can she?"

"An eye for an eye…" Lady Mikoto says sadly.

"Except we actually treat Azura with love and dignity." Hinoka scowls. "… and the Nohrian king still walks."

"My brothers and sisters treat me with love and dignity!" I say defensively.

"Of course we do." Ryoma responds.

I scowl. "My Nohrian brothers and sisters treat me with love and dignity! I will concede to what you say about what Nohr did, but I will not have you besmirch my siblings when they have treated me as a true brother!"

"Of course." Ryoma relents.

I want to press further, but Azura finishes her song, drawing my attention once more. Without thinking, I approach her, startling her as she turns to see me.

"Milady, I am Corrin." I say, bowing. "As I understand it, we are cousins."

Azura looks very surprised, but her face soon turns to a gentle smile, washing away the melancholy of her song. "I am Azura, a Hoshidan princess. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Hoshidan? As I understand it, you are queen Arete's daughter, no? Does that not make you a Nohrian princess?"

"No more than you are a Hoshidan prince, Corrin."

This time, it's my turn to be surprised. Unlike the Hoshidan family… that is to say, unlike the others in her family, she understood how I felt. We have spoken for less than a minute, but I feel a strong kinship with her. It may be a childish thought but at this moment I believe with all my heart that we share a strong connection. No, not the kind boys often feel toward girls… I mean she is my cousin. But unlike my Nohrian siblings, whom I love with all my heart, or my Hoshidan ones, whom I'm certain wish me no ills, Azura shares with me a rapport. I do not believe in fates, but if such things existed, I have no doubt ours would be intertwined.

"If you don't mind me asking, prince Corrin…" Azura starts. "Is… lady Arete doing alright?"

Perhaps I should have expected that question, and I feel a bit guilty that I do not have a more substantial answer. "As far as I can tell she is doing fine, Azura. Father… King Garon seems to take her counsel seriously and my siblings all get along with her."

"Good… that's good. And Xander? Camilla? Leo?"

At this I brighten up considerably. "Big brother is doing great! He's earning fame and fortune for himself on the field and as I understand it both the common people and the military love him very much! Camilla is also doing great. Father allows her to be head of the aerial division in the army. Leo is as clever and insufferable as ever and from what I've heard he is one of the most respected figure in both the military and the council. But you did not ask about Elise, Azura. Did you two not know each other before you… left?"

"I'm afraid not… Elise was just born when I came to Hoshido… I have not seen her since."

"You two have to meet sometimes! She's just the sweetest thing! I'm sure she will pump some bright and shine into that melancholy air of yours!"

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I immediately wonder whether I'm being too informal. One look at Azura and my concern is dissipated. We are family ever since the first words we spoke to each other, and the feeling is mutual.

"It seems no further introduction is necessary." Ryoma comments as the others approach us.

"Hey, Ryoma." I say back. "We were talking about Azura's Nohrian family. That got me thinking. When should we meet up and talk this over? I'm sure Azura is happy here, but it would be great for her to see how her old family is doing as well. And I need to clear things up with Garon and the queen, see their reasoning, and then I'm sure we can work out an arrangement from there."

At this, everyone's face darkens. Hinoka breaks the silence. "I don't think that would be… plausible…"

"Huh? Why?"

"The Nohrians…" Sakura starts. "They don't seem open to negotiations…"

"You don't know that! I'm sure my family will be reasonable!"

"They weren't when they took you away from us!" Hinoka shouts.

"T-They must have had their reasoning! I was there! I'm certain Garon and the queen weren't happy with what they were doing. We'll compensate for your loss and make amends in any way we can!"

"We?" Ryoma asks.

This time I'm not going to back down. "Yeah, we. I'm sorry, Ryoma. They treated me like family for most of my life, and nothing can take that away. We can be to, you and I, and I hope we will. You have all treated me with great kindness. But I will never denounce the family I now have for any reason."

"THEY KIDNAPPED YOU CORRIN!" Hinoka shouts. "How can you show them the loyalty you fail to show us now!"

"BECAUSE THEY MADE ME WHAT I AM TODAY! Xander took the time to train with me every single day, rain or shine. Even when he was sick or tired or just sick and tired of all the things he had to shoulder and pretends otherwise! When I was down, he would sit and talk to me for whole damn hours… That must have been difficult with so many responsibilities he had to deal with… but he did it because we are family! And he always gave me the respect I craved for but failed to see! He never went easy and knocked me down every time! But every time I land a blow or successfully parry an attack, he had the proudest look on his face… that's what kept me going! That's how I stopped being weak! And Camilla… she cares… she cares so much and I resented her for it at times. Whenever people hurt me she would always know. And I hate her for it sometimes but she would always hurt them much, much worse. And regardless of how I felt she was always there to make me my favourite meal and lend me a shoulder when I need one but says otherwise… and I would always take her up on the offer eventually because gods I needed it. She treated me like a child and I hated it… but gods I love my sister for it and I don't know how miserable I would be if she wasn't there for me. And Leo… the insufferable shit… Xander listened, Camilla comforted, Elise tried, but Leo understood. I don't know how he understood me, but he did… he must be so smart… He knew what I needed. Brought me a sword, brought me books, brought me whatever I didn't even know I needed. And he always had a solution to all my problems, and if he didn't he would go think for days until he had one. He even taught me magic, not that I ever made any use out of it. He knew how I felt without ever needing to hear a word and he would always try to help me even when he says otherwise. And Elise… sweet Elise… She would come find me to play, and it would always be fun despite my age. In my darker days I find her presence insufferable… This child without a worry in the world, how could she understand how I felt? How could she be so selfish? But I would always… tolerate her because she is my sister. I would begrudgingly play with her. And at the end of the day she would ask me how I felt and I would always realize I that I had more fun that day than she did. Gods I'm a child… a selfish child who couldn't understand. Despite her kindness… no, because of her kindness, Elise is so much stronger than me… So don't you FUCKING DARE ASSUME ANYTHING ABOUT MY DAMN FAMILY! THEY MAY HAVE KIDNAPPED ME, AND MAYBE THEY'VE DONE OTHER TERRIBLE THINGS BUT THEY GAVE ME A BETTER FAMILY THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE HOPED FOR!"

This stunned them silent. An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air. I hurt them. There's no doubt about it, I broke their heart. And yet I feel no guilt.

"I'm sorry for that outburst." I say, unable to meet their gaze. "But I'm not sorry about what I said."

After a moment of silence, Ryoma beckons me. I follow him wordlessly for quite a distance, until we reach what used to be a farm. Ryoma points at the ruins. "See this?"

I nod.

"The family that owned this place, they came to the palace themselves every year to offer a portion of their crops. A significant portion. The crop is nothing to us, we are royalties, and they would always refuse payment. But there was never a year when they failed to make the trip. Because when father pass by the farm, he gave them a hand once. It was a bad year and this farm was particularly difficult. Father took of his armor, grabbed a hoe, and helped. They are not of our blood, but they are family. You know what happened? Nohr came. It was one of the first attack, back when Nohr could still send people rather than those monstrosities to do their dirty work. They didn't just murder the family. They hanged them inside their house while they set their home and farm on fire. Didn't even steal the crop. They didn't need the food. They just came to hurt us, unprovoked. And the boy, their child, you know what they did? Nohr sent the boy to us, to tell us what happens, after stabbing him through the ankle. The boy never made it. He lived long enough to tell us what happens when a soldier found him and then the infection killed him."

"Impossible." I deny. "Nohr wouldn't do this. If they did, they would have taken the crops. Farmlands were impossible in Nohr. We didn't have the sun. There's no way father would allow any amount of food to go to waste."

"They left their sigil, Corrin. They wanted to send a message, and we received it." When I say nothing in return, he continues. "Months after months, things like this continue to happen. When mother used magic to prevent soldiers from attacking us, they started sending the faceless, those abominations… It wasn't for reconnaissance. It wasn't for our crops. They just started burning our fields and slaughtering our people indiscriminately. We tried hitting back, but we could never match Nohrian viciousness. You will have to forgive me if I find it doubtful that your Nohrian 'friends' could sit down and discuss this peacefully."

I want to shout back, to tell him he's wrong, to point out the holes in his story. But a part of me realize that his version makes sense. I was told that Hoshido was the perpetrator of the conflict. That they refused our plea for help when their land is so much more blessed. But if I am honest with myself, father's pride would never allow him to ask them for help. The faceless couldn't handle complex commands and taking their crops is beyond them. And Nohr... as much as I hate to admit it... Nohr is vicious. Nohr is violent. Nohr is bloodthirsty. I always wondered whether I'm truly Nohrian sometimes, but when I take a look at my family I would realize there's more to Nohr than just that.

Sakura's words snap me out of my thoughts. "B-Brother? What was that noise?"

We all go dead quiet and indeed it was there. Uniform thumping, so much that I could almost feel the ground beneath me shake. If I listen really hard I could almost hear the drums. No doubt about it… this is an army. No... this is a Nohrian march.

I break into a sprint.

"Corrin!" Ryoma shouts. "Get back here! We'll keep you safe! Let us handle this!"

"No!" I shout back. "My siblings think I was kidnapped! They will not stop until they know I'm safe! Come with me, we'll figure everything out!"

"Damn it Corrin! Hinoka, get mother, Azura and Sakura back inside! I'll go after Corrin!"

Hinoka lets out a loud whistle. A pegasi soars through the sky right pass me and land in front of her.

"I'm the one with the pegasi here, I'll get him! You take them back!

"Hinoka! I can't! We need to prepare our forces!" Ryoma shouts in frustration. "Damn it all! Mother, Sakura, Azura, stay close!"

Knowing that Hinoka is on a pegasi, I did not dare look back. I cannot outrun a sky knight, so I'll lose her. I decide on the long way around, heading straight for a nearby forest. As expected, Hinoka seems to have trouble following me, though if I dawdle Ryoma will get to the Nohrian forces before I could. I do not dare to spend the time to lose Hinoka completely and rush toward the progressively more thunderous noises as quickly as I could. We can stop this! I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding. Even if it isn't… I know both my families, neither are evil. We can work this out. We must. One father died defending me, the other marched on Hoshido to get me back. I cannot turn my back on either.


	6. Chapter 6

Corrin

"Corrin! Please!" Hinoka shouts after me. "We are not your enemy! Return to us and we'll protect you!"

"They are not my enemy either!" I shout back, not daring to look behind. She's really close now and I'm already out of the woods. "This fight is pointless! They won't stop until they see me!"

"Little brother, I lost you for most of my life… I won't give you away to the barbaric Nohrians now! Return to us or I'll take you by force!"

I click my tongue. I was right to run. Neither side has any intention of listening. I must get to them first, only then will there be any hope of ending this peacefully.

And yet I am too far away from the army. Hinoka closes in, the sound of wings louder than I thought possible for such graceful creatures. I cannot outrun her. She will take me back to the Hoshidan palace and lock me in until one side loses. Judging by the sound, she's barely meters away from me and in a last ditch effort to throw her off, I drop to the floor, expecting Hinoka's arm to passes me by overhead.

I didn't have a plan for whatever comes after, but it seems I don't need one anymore. Another pair of wings, one much louder than Hinoka's pegasi's, descend on both of us.

"HAND OFF MY LITTLE BROTHER!" I hear a loud, familiar voice, followed by a loud clank. As I look up, I see Camilla's axe nearly cutting Hinoka's spear in two. As Hinoka nearly gets flung away, the wyvern Camilla rides attempts to bite down upon her pegasi, missing by a hair's breadth.

I am almost certain her weapon was not out when she was chasing me so Hinoka is taken completely off-guard and nearly fell of her pegasi. It is then a testament of her strength and skill that less than a second after nearly getting herself chopped in half, Hinoka and her pegasi stands in a fighting position, ready to return Camilla's blow.

"Who the hell are you?" she growls.

"Princess Camilla of Nohr." Camilla answers. "And Corrin's ONLY big sis."

Despite how grateful I am at her intervention, hearing the word 'big sis' used when I'm as old as I am makes me blush.

"Is that the lie Nohr has been feeding my little brother?" Hinoka shoots back.

"What kind of lie has the Hoshidan bitch been feeding you, sweet Corrin?" Camilla asks, her aggression building by the second.

"I-I don't think it'll be wise to add fuels to the fire." I answer, getting back on my feet. "Camilla, we don't have to fight! Take me back and we can all talk this out."

"You touch my brother, Nohrian scum, and I'll have your head on a pike!" Hinoka gets in position to lunge.

"No can do, Corrin." Camilla replies, her eyes never once leaving Hinoka. "This little princess thinks you're hers. I'll have to fix this misunderstanding." Camilla readies her axe, big and sharp enough to behead a horse… or in this case, a pegasi. Her wyvern shrieks, stomping the ground and edging ever closer. If Hinoka's pegasi had any fear in it, it did a good job of hiding those fears. The white beast stands its ground, eyeing the wyvern carefully.

"You two! Please!" I try once more. If Camilla grabs me now, Hinoka would certainly skewer her from behind. And if Hinoka backs off, Camilla would likely lunge for a surprise attack.

"Stay close, Corrin." Camilla commands. "I'll protect you. I could see the Hoshidan army marching already. Once I deal with this little princess I'll fly you pass father's army where you will be safe."

"I make the same offer, little brother, except you will be flying the opposite direction." Hinoka says.

This is really bad. They are dead set on murdering each other. I cannot expect a draw either. Camilla has the advantage, for both being bigger and having the more advantageous weapon here. She has a soft spot for people like Hinoka but right now I think she really will cut her in half. But if she now has the advantage… Right now, I am behind Camilla… Gods please don't let this be a fatal miscalculation…

I turn around and begin sprinting toward Xander's army.

"Corrin!? No!" Camilla shouts, turning toward me.

And just as I suspected, Hinoka uses this opportunity to lunge at Camilla, her spear nearly going through Camilla's chest. The attack was mostly blocked, but I can tell it hurt. Both of them would want to go after me and either would be able to catch up very quickly but neither want to let the other near me, not to mention that being distracted now would be a fatal mistake. This is a terrible mindset but now that the playing field is more even one of them may attempt a tactical retreat and the other may not be able to chase for the kill. Gods I hope I did not miscalculate.

Sure enough, neither of them could risk chasing after me. Clanks of steel and flaps of wings can be heard as I rush away from the fight. The pegasi lets out loud, majestic cry while the wyvern shrieks and stomps whenever the opportunity arises. The pegasi is faster but the wyvern breathes fire. I shudder at the sight. As powerful as the pegasi is, the wyvern is a real monster. Within minutes it could eat a pegasi and its rider whole. I wish Hinoka luck, because she clearly needs it more.

After putting some distance between me and the two flyers, another pressing concern catches my attention. Instead of one army, there are now two. The Hoshidan army, mobilized in a rush, seems significantly fewer in number and less prepared. Knowing father, he will almost certainly want to press for a decisive victory now. I cannot let this happen. So many people will die. And if among them… I cannot allow myself to consider the possibility!

* * *

"Wren"

"Lord Xander. Listen to me, we cannot fight!" I say, riding beside the crown prince. I have no illusion that Garon would ever listen to my advice now, but Corrin's brother has proven wise thus far. There may still be hope.

"My brother is held by the enemy, Wren. What would you have me do?" Xander asks.

"I don't know! Send in wyvern riders! Send in spies! Kidnap one of them and use that for ransom maybe… But this fight is hopeless!"

"They already tried ransom. I lost a sister that day. However, I would never trade one sibling for another. They would not either. This is the only way Wren."

"This is hopeless! I can feel the magic seeping into my mind already! We cannot fight! Queen Mikoto's magic… It prevents us from willingly harming an enemy!"

Xander grits his teeth. "Damn it I know! But there's no other way! The magic robs us of our will to fight, but we can still attack in self-defense!"

"Even if we had ten times their number, which we don't in their territory, that would never work! This also means we cannot defend against their archers. We cannot make our way toward their palace and back with our forces intact, even with all our heavy units at the front."

"Xander… I agree with her…" Lord Leo rides up to join us. "Hoshido will fight back and we cannot defend against them with their queen's magic in place. Maybe once we meet Corrin... we can redirect our priority to protect into a necessity to harm, but I'm not sure that would even work and I spent years trying to figure this magic out."

"What would you have of me then!?" Xander asks. "We cannot wait! At least if we know Corrin is safe, I could maybe convince father to retreat for now. But I cannot honestly suggest such a thing until I know that our brother is unharmed."

Leo bites his lower lip. Some part of him agrees with this. Rationally, he agrees with me that Hoshido would be very unlikely to harm Corrin. But his brother was kidnapped and there's a part of him that desperately wants to ensure his brother's safety first. Furthermore, after Camilla rushes ahead, the stake is raised since two of their siblings are now deep in enemy's territory. Damn it all, it's a lost cause!

"If that is my lord's command." I say as I slow down to put some distance between me and the two arguing princes. I cannot believe I am considering this, but I must confirm my priority. I came here to ensure Corrin's safety, one way or another. All the other royals with the exception of Elise are accounted for... hopefully Severa, Owain and Inigo remembers their priority... One of us must ensure Corrin's safety. Damn it… must I defect? It may be the only way to ensure Corrin's safety if we cannot make it to him. I must be ready for the possibility… That will put me on the opposite side of all my friends but I cannot think of any other way to fulfill my end of the bargain. I don't think they will kill me or my liege and I have no intention of doing the same but if we are on opposite side there's no telling what will happen. Grima takes both these two kingdoms and their damn feud!

"Wren!" Silas calls out to me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"Look! The Hoshidan army!"

"Well la-di-da, Silas! I hadn't noticed." I answer in frustration.

"No! You don't understand! They're from a different direction than the one Camilla went in!"

What does that even mean? Lady Camilla had a superior vantage point and she chose to go into another direction? Did she spot something we couldn't? Don't tell me… The damn woman couldn't think to inform us!?

"No time to tell the others, Silas!" I say and begin riding toward the direction Camilla went in. "We'll ride quicker in smaller number."

Silas follows me, yet he quickly outpaces me. Damn it I was never great at cavalry! I'll have to get off before even thinking of fighting.

"You think it could be…" Silas starts.

"Our liege? I would certainly hope so." Even if it's not… it's as good a time to defect as any. Nohr is doomed at this rate, and the best way to ensure Corrin's safety is to have someone to defend him in Hoshido. Father could no doubt find a way out of this mess. His daughter will simply have to make do.

* * *

Corrin

"Silas! Wren!" I call out as my retainers approach me on horseback. Thank heaven… I'll be able to make it back before the two armies clash at this rate.

"Corrin! You're safe!" Silas says as he approaches me first. Wren seems to be lagging behind, though the relief in her face is palpable nonetheless.

"Thank goodness you're here…" I say. "Quick! You have to take me back to father! This battle is pointless."

"And foolhardy." Wren says in between heavy breaths as she finally catches up. "I agree with the boss. Silas, grab him. You're clearly the better rider. And boss, glad to have you back."

I chuckle as Silas helps me onto his horse. "It sounds like you always wanted to say that."

"Yeah it probably would have sounded better if you were gone for over a day or two. Still… I meant it."

"Yeah… Thanks… It's really good to see you two."

"And thanks for not forcing me to choose a side."

"Huh?"

I wanted to question Wren on what she said but was cut off by Silas suddenly galloping back toward the main force. Likely for the best. We have to hurry before the battle starts.

"What happened, Corrin?" Silas asks.

"Hoshido took me." I answered.

"Yeah I could have guessed that." Wren says. "What about Flora?"

"They say she's safe. I'm glad… I thought they would have taken her too but they must have deemed her unrelated to all this."

"Oh you sweet innocent fool…"

"H-Huh?"

"That can wait, Wren." Silas chides. "Why did Hoshido take you, Corrin?"

"Look… it's a long story… but basically they are telling me that I am a Hoshidan and that Nohr kidnapped me while I was young to raise me as one of them."

Silas turns around to look at me, shocked. Wren, on the other hand, carefully consider what I said. There's a look in her eyes like she just saw all the pieces fall into place.

"D-Do you believe them?" Silas asks.

"I don't know…" I answer. "I really don't know… That's why I have to go to father. There must be a reasonable explanation. If not… he must have had his reasoning… But that's not important right now. I don't want either of my family hurt and I have to stop this before it begins."

"Good! You are more level-headed than most of Nohr." Wren says. "We retreat first, and then we can figure this out later. Do you know of the magic the queen put down?"

"I've heard something to that effect, yes."

"Well, long story short, it robs us of our will to fight. We cannot attack anyone even if they are in our face. We can defend ourselves but that is useless against archers. The king wants to march straight to the palace regardless. They would massacre us with one tenth our number. Whatever discussion we are going to have must not occur on their ground."

I shudder at this revelation, but there's a part of me that exalt. So many Nohrians will die for such a foolish idea. And yet, father was willing to march for me regardless. Knowing him, there's pride in himself and rage against Hoshido in his reasoning. But all the same, he marches for me.

As we finally approach our goal, the situation grows progressively more drastic. Xander and Ryoma stands at opposite end, with their respective army behind each. They have not charged, but they seem on the verge of doing so. I also silently thank the gods that both Camilla and Hinoka got back to their respective side, both looking ready for a second round, this time with their respective brigades at their back.

"Big brother!" Elise spots me first, among all the soldiers. "Xander! Look, it's big brother!"

Xander takes one look at me and without a second thought, turns his back on the Hoshidan prince to rush at me. Ryoma, who is in the perfect position to kills the Nohrian prince, chooses to do the same.

"Corrin! You are alive!" Xander says. "They have not harmed you, have they?"

"Xander, I'm fine." I answer. "Why are you bringing all your forces here?"

"For you, brother. Come, join us. We'll come back another day to avenge your capture. It's good enough that you're safe."

"Xander…"

"Brother! Do not wander too close to that man!" Ryoma warns. "He is a Nohrian commander! Step behind me, we'll take care of this."

"Sweet brother!" Camilla says, getting off her wyvern. "I was so worried… You were so close, and yet I nearly lost you again. Never do that again!"

"I'm glad you're okay Corrin…" Leo says. "Both kingdoms are on the brink of war and you stand in the middle of it, but I always knew you would come out on top."

"Big brother is back!" Elise cheers. "Everything will be fine now! Corrin came back!"

I was not away from them for long, but I feel the urge to leap into their arms. The sound of pegasi wings distract me from my thoughts.

"Nohrian scum!" Hinoka sneers. "You took our brother and now you have the audacity to call him family? Corrin is ours and I'll have your head on the end of my spear if you dare tell me otherwise!"

"Oh, ready for round two, princess?" Camilla taunts, getting back on her wyvern and readying her axe. "We'll see which one of us is more fitting for Corrin, shall we?"

"B-Brother…" Sakura calls out. "Please… don't leave us…"

"Ryoma trusted you Corrin!" Takumi shouts. "Mother trusted you! I-I wanted to trust you too! Don't you dare, Corrin! Don't you dare!"

I turn around to find the missing person, and there she is, among the Hoshidan. Azura stands as one of them and she holds a spear too large for her frame. She stands unguarded, of her own free will. Our eyes meet, and I could almost feel her words: Make your choice, cousin.

"Corrin, return to us." Father commands, startling me. He holds a battle axe I would have thought would be too large for any one person, and he holds it with one hand. But he lowers it to the ground and extends his good hand. "Come, Corrin."

"BASTARD!" The Hoshidan queen glares at the Nohrian king with more hostility than I thought she was capable of. "You killed my husband. You took my child. And now you come to take him once more?"

Garon readies his weapon once more, not uttering a word.

"I-Is it true f-father?" I ask.

This gets under his skin more than lady Mikoto did. Though he offers no answer, his discomfort shows.

Then behind him comes the queen, riding on her horse, with a staff in one hand and a tome in the other. "It is true… nephew… I took you from your mother. And I took away your father. It is just as she said.

"But… why?" I ask. "Why? Father?"

Garon shakes his head. "I don't know."

The answer was as baffling as when I first heard it. But one look at lady Mikoto and I could see she understood.

"Arete… you…" She starts.

"It must be done, sister." Lady Arete answers. "You went to Hoshido for a reason. Your heart is soft and pure. You would never have agreed to this. You wanted to escape. But there is no escaping. We need Corrin. We'll need to get rid of our enemy for good. We cannot run away anymore, sister. This must be done. I am sorry, but you would have never agreed to this."

I could not for the life of me understand what they are talking about. But lady Mikoto understood completely. She ignores her sister, opting to turn to me, unarmed. "Sweet child. You have heard from these people. They admitted to their crimes. They killed your father and stole you from your rightful family. Return to us, my son."

Lady Arete looks as if she wishes to say the same, but could not. Instead, she just settled with one word. "Please…"

I turn around, and take in the sight of the two armies. There is too much at stake here for me to decide, either for love or for justice, for my blood or for my family. I cannot choose between my two families. This is too cruel.

"Think about this rationally, boss." Wren whispers, sticking close to me. "One of them will settle for a retreat if you go with them, the other will press their advantage no matter what…"

I look to Silas, who obviously wants me to side with his home country. He says nothing, however, and seems willing to defend me regardless of who I choose. I believe Wren will do the same, but she is unwilling to allow me to choose freely. She clearly favors Nohr for reasons other than the one she told me.

But it matters not. I have made my choice. May the gods forgive me, whatever may come.

"Xander." I hold out my hand toward my Nohrian brother. "Please… turn back for now. Just do this for me, brother… Do not spill the blood of my family."

Xander offers me his hand, his eyes filled with warmth. "Of course Corrin… If you're with us… That would be enough… Is that right father?"

Garon looks almost unsatisfied, but there's still sense in his eyes. He nods. However, he does not let go of his weapon, his eyes firmly on Azura.

"You cannot mean this Corrin!" Ryoma shouts. "They admitted their guilt! You have seen what they are capable of! How can you side with them now!?"

"Because they are family, Ryoma." I answer. "Because I would let the world burn before I consider harming my family."

"You…"

"But you are also family, Ryoma. Turn back now. I'm sure we can settle this without bloodshed. Please… don't let anyone die today… I cannot bear to lose either of my family, Ryoma… please…"

Ryoma, despite everything, looks touched. His resolution remains however.

But it is not his resolution that commences the war.

"Is this your choice, sweet child?" My mother asks.

"It is…"

"Then so be it."

"Wait… mother…"

"Mikoto. Corrin made her choice, return me my daughter." Queen Arete says.

Lady Mikoto stares coldly at her sister. "Azura made hers."

"No… impossible! Azura, is this true!?"

Azure looks at her mother. She looks torn, pained, confused. But her words are steady. "I'm sorry lady Arete… my whole life… it is this family that protected me. They supported my dream and passion. They pick me up when I'm down. They showered me with love when I needed it most. This land does not treat me as an unwanted child… I wish to repay this kindness."

"My little girl… I would do all this for you and more…"

"We made demands, lady Arete." Azura answers coldly, her will strengthened. "One child for the other. For years you knew the terms. You made your choice."

"But you must understand why I have done this! You know about the true enemy!"

"I know my true ally: Hoshido. I'm sorry… mother. You had your chance."

"All I've ever done, Azura…" Lady Arete says, her voice cracking. "… I've done to keep you safe."

"My daughter has made her choice." Lady Mikoto steps between Azura and the queen. "Sister, you say my heart is soft and pure, and that is why I went to Hoshido." The Hoshidan queen says, turning her back on us. Ryoma steps between us, guarding his mother as if his life depends on it. "You misjudge my home, sister. You misjudge the role of the wife of a true samurai. Hinoka, get my bow and spear and prepare my kinshi. Ryoma, you have my permission to charge."

"Lady Mikoto, no!" I shout. "We do not have to do this!"

The Hoshidan queen walks away, her eldest son defending her back and her army preparing for battle. "When the child goes bad, it is the fault of their parents. False choices must be removed. The child must be disciplined. King of Nohr, I hear you killed my husband with a rain of arrows. As the Queen of Hoshido, I can promise you this. Before we decimate your army, you will witness a sea of arrows. But for you, Garon, I will only need the one."

* * *

Xander

"Father! Lady Arete! Behind me!" I shout as the Hoshidans prepare their attack.

"I am king, boy!" Father answers with a roar, swinging his axe. "No Nohrian king cowers while his men die for him!"

"Garon! Your son is right!" The queen says. "We cannot win here… I do not know how to break my sister's spell yet and we cannot win this fight with her spell in place."

"Damn it Arete do you ask me to hide behind my people like a coward!?"

"Yes I do! Please, my love… for me. You are king and if you fall here the men will scatter and flee. They would decimate us unless we hold together. We'll get our revenge, Garon, I promise you that. But not now. Not here."

"Damn it all!" Father shouts as he begins backing off. Thank the dusk dragon for lady Arete. She's the only one who can talk sense into father sometimes.

I grab a nearby armored soldier by the shoulder. "You. Give my father your shield. Then get to the back of the army, you are effectively dismissed until we reach Nohr."

"T-Thank you my lord." The soldier says, handing his shield to father, who takes it begrudgingly. Perhaps the man knows what I intend to do with the armored units and he takes solace in the fact that he will have no place in it.

"Father, please keep a low profile. They will begin soon. Lady Arete… please protect my father."

The queen smiles. "Always."

I smile back, but our little moment is interrupted by the Hoshidan's war cry.

"ARCHERS, FIRE AT WILL! SAMURAIS, TO ME!" The Hoshidan prince charges.

"Retreat! Retreat!" I command with all the authority I can muster. "Heavy units to the front! Shield up! Everyone else, fall back!"

The men obey immediately. Heavily armored men move immediately to the front, giving the samurais pause. Their shields defend them from incoming arrows and though some slip pass the front, most bounce off their shields harmlessly.

"Everyone, retreat! Do not attempt to engage the enemy!" I shout. "Front line, hold fast. I know what I am asking of you. You will leave the field after everyone has gotten to a safe distance. Many of you will die… perhaps most… perhaps all. But I can promise you this, I will not leave the front line until you do. For the glory of Nohr!"

That little speech hides the dread I feel for my men and myself. I meant what I said, most of us will die. I may be among them. My siblings are strong… but this is still too soon. I need to help them more. I do not want to die here. I do not want any of my people to die here. But this must be done.

And yet the men cheer. They cheer for me. They cheer for their kingdom. They cheer in the face of death. They hold fast. Not one turns tail. I would not be able to track down deserters now, and I will be honest, deserters would have a higher chance of survival than these men. I am so proud of them. They deserve better. Being with them is not enough. I must stand alongside them. As I take my place between two men, they look at me in shock. Then they let out a cheer.

"For Nohr!"

"For prince Xander!"

I allow myself a small smile. This would not be a terrible way to go.

The Hoshidan queen makes good on her promise. We see a sea of arrows, coming down at us. Most of us manage to block them with our shields. I only need to defend my head. As the crown prince of Nohr, I am equipped with the best armor in the land, sturdy and light, and arrows bounce harmlessly off me.

I allow myself a peek at the rest of the army. They have made substantial distance.

"Back off slowly men!" I command.

Perhaps seeing that we are getting closer to exiting the range of their queen's spell. The samurais charge at us, attempting to break through our defense through brute force.

"Attack any who seeks to harm you!" I shout, as my blade, Siegfried, kills a Hoshidan soldier attempting to get the better of me. Another head my way, weapon out, and I allow my Siegfried to unleash its magic, safely dispatching the soldier at a distance.

Ryoma notices the power of my blade. He raises his in the air. Sensing something unusual about his weapon, I prepare my shield and manages to survive after a bolt of lightning strikes me from on high. That sword is magic, like my Siegfried, though the lightning is nowhere as dangerous as it looks and if I pay close attention I can survive his attacks.

But it also means my attention cannot be divided. His men seem to understand this and synchronize their attacks with his, leaving me in a difficult position. Many of them has the audacity to approach me with their weapon sheathed, awaiting their moment. They think I cannot attack them without their weapon out, since they are not a threat. That is strictly correct. The queen's spell affects all men and women… and no more.

My horse rears back, and with a loud cry, uses both its front limp to crush any soldier who approaches me. I pity these men. There is no good way to die, but some ways are cleaner than others. Getting trampled by a warhorse is not clean.

Then I see bolt of light coming down from long distance. It was too fast to see clearly, but the light was shaped like an arrow. Thankfully, they were not aimed near me. I hold the stronger area of our defense. The "arrows" aim to put holes in our line and they aim for the weakest part. Perhaps the archer does not realize I am the commander here. Perhaps he does not think a cavalry unit will do well at defense. Whatever the case, I am thankful to be alive.

And I weep for any man unfortunate enough to be struck by such magic. I can do nothing. Ryoma requires my full attention. I pray these "arrows" give my men a clean death.

* * *

Takumi

Never again.

For once in my life, I trusted someone when my rationality tells me otherwise, and he chooses to throw that trust back in my face.

Corrin… you bastard. You fucking bastard! Father gave his life for you, defending you to his last breath. Ryoma did everything in his power to save you, even discarding the honor he treasures so much in order to secure your safe return. Hinoka dedicated her entire life for you, trying to atone a sin she did not commit, and now that you can finally give all that effort meaning, you chose to throw it back in her face. Sakura… she just wanted a brother who have time for her, someone who would her the time of day, someone who would help her out of her shell.

And mother… you made mother cry. For that I will have your head, Corrin.

"Hinoka, drops me off here." I say.

My sister nods, lowering her pegasi on the hill. I step off.

"Thank you, Hinoka." I say. "And… it's not your fault. It's his."

But Hinoka already flew off. When my arrow finds you, Corrin, I hope you die slow.

Nohr is on the run, and from this vantage point, I have clear view of the entire army. They are so small from here, even I couldn't tell one person from the next. It matters not. They are on the run and the number of tactics they can employ is extremely minimal. As I expected, their armored units step to the front, shield up, defending against our sea of arrows. Mother, I could see. She hovers above our army, shooting down one arrow after another. In theory, it would be easy for her to snatch Corrin from Nohr since they cannot defend against her unless she attacks them first. She could also put an arrow between king Garon's eyes on her way out if she wishes. But Nohr learned. Mother's spell affects humans, and in the sky, their wyvern is king. The Nohrian princess knows this. She has her brigade of wyvern riders lined up, defending against any attempt of infiltrating the army through the air. A pegasi or even a kinshi is no match for their savage wyverns. Some of our people tried to get through and I'm glad I'm not there to see the result. The beasts are the most vicious creatures the gods have created and even I shudder at the sight of them tearing a pegasi limb-to-limb before descending on its fleeing rider. Mother and Hinoka has no choice but to back off and relies on ranged attacks. Sky knights aren't trained with bows and arrows so they have to rely on what little javelins they carry. Kinshi riders have a strong advantage, but there are too few of them. They fell many riders, but many more take up their place. Nohr is home to the wyverns and right now they block out the sun through sheer number.

The only way to truly break through their army is through the front. Their commander knows that, sending all their defenders to the front. So far, it did wonder against our arrows. Samurais make up the main bulk of our army and they too are at a disadvantage against these much heavier foes. But let's see how their fancy armors hold up against my Fujin Yumi.

I hold my bow and takes a deep breath. I focus on the weapon, the shape of the strings, the arrow in my hand. Fujin Yumi is my family's bow, an ancestral weapon. I have the honor of wielding such a weapon. I will not disappoint my ancestors. I will avenge father's honor. Nohr will fall today.

I pull back and the bowstring appears on my finger. I close my eyes and imagine the shape of the arrow and when I open them it is there.

I look upon the enemies. I cannot tell one from another, not really, but it does not matter. Their armored units are large and unwieldy and they stand out from the rest. From this distance, I suspect it is a physical impossibility to hit them with an arrow. The arrow would drop before it finds its target. However, Fujim Yumi does not shoot arrows. My bow shoots wind. Wind do not drop off, no matter the distance.

I let loose, and the "arrow" finds its target. I smile as I could make out the silhouette of the soldier drop. It was never this satisfying with inanimate targets, and the faceless are simply too dead for me to gain any satisfaction from my kill. But now, I can taste vengeance, even if I cannot see it clearly with my own eyes. Now I spill Nohrian blood as they have spilt ours for years.

I let loose another "arrow", and another, and another, and another. The Nohrian fools drop like flies, one after another. Dead, dead, dead, dead. With their passing they leave a hole in their army's defense, which Ryoma's men take advantage of. We could not make a break through yet, but they are clearly struggling. So I let loose another. And another. And another.

Tasted that, Nohrian scum? Can you taste the blood in your mouth? Can you feel the pain you have been causing to our people for years? Of course, yours taste different. Your blood is black and tainted, unlike that of those you have murdered. You take what you cannot build and you destroy what you cannot take. You disgust me. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

But as I prepare another "arrow", a peculiarity occurs. Samurais charge a single soldier, ignoring the easily exploited holes in their line. What is even stranger is that the soldier does not go down. It is difficult to make out the exact number from here but scores of our men go down, sometimes simultaneously. Then the fool, typical of Nohrian bloodthirstiness, charge out into the open, away from their front line. Our soldiers simply cannot ignore this display. WHAT ARE THEY DOING? Kill him with magic! Kill him with arrows! He is clearly stronger. Pick no fight you cannot win!

But that is precisely what they did. Dozens of samurai charge the lone soldier, and just as many fall. I am helpless to their foolishness. I do not have a clear shot of the soldier, our people are in the way. There are too much movements. I grit my teeth. If I just shoot anyway, I can minimize the damage. I will kill one or two of ours at most, but every second I waste a dozen of ours go down. But if I do this, Ryoma would never forgive me. These men train with him, eat with him, and give their lives for him today. Ryoma would never allow them to be killed by one of our own. But how is… This monster! Why won't he die!

But then it happens. The invincible soldier makes a fatal blunder and he seems to fall on one knee. But after a brief struggle, where he seems to have lost the use of another limb, he manages to beat down the samurai who inflicted the wound. It does not matter, he's done. He cannot continue fighting with that wound. I let loose an arrow, which does not seem to have taken him down. No matter... I prepare another arrow... our people charge.

Before our people could finish him off, the Nohrians came back. They actually charge at us, defending their man! But mother's spell… no… their weapon was not out! They pull up their shield and charge, pushing back anyone threatening to harm the wounded soldier. I clench my fist. This bastard killed so many of ours, I cannot allow him to live. I prepare another "arrow." I would not be able to make him out from a crowd normally but this fool seems to wear a brightly colored armor, standing out from the rest. This will be his… wait… what is that?

I squint my eyes, trying to make out the mounted figure standing over the soldier. I could not see what they are doing, but I can see light coming out of what seems to be a staff… a healer! Bastard. I will not allow it! This soldier is too much. I cannot allow him to get back on his feet. I let loose the arrow, aiming for the healer.

I suppose I could have shot the soldier, but I could always kill him later. In warfare, it is almost universally best to get rid of a healer first. There was a time when it was considered dishonorable. But when magic got to the point where a soldier on the verge of death could get back on their feet within seconds with the help of a healer, the practicality overweight the foolish notion of honor. This was a simple strategy. I prepare another "arrow." But something catches my attention.

I look at a Kinshi rider in the distance… mother. She seems to be struggling. My bowstring and arrow dissipate immediately as I throw my weapon on my back. What is happening to mother? She rides a Kinshi like it's part of her. She would never struggle with it like this! What is going on?

Mother used whatever strength she has left to steer her kinshi toward our army. I rush down the hill with all my strength.

"You!" I shout as I spot a sky knight. "Take me back to the main force, now!"

The knight complies. I feel a change in the air, but I ignore it. What is happening? Mother… was she attacked? Impossible! She steered clear of their wyvern and Nohr cannot take the offense against us!

I pray to my ancestors. I pray to the dawn dragon. I pray to all the gods I believe in and all the ones I did not. I pray for mother's safety. This is impossible! How can she be hurt!? Her spell...

"My lord… we arrived." The sky knight informs me.

I jump off as soon as possible, rushing toward the crowd. The kinshi nearby seems unwounded, but greatly distressed. I shoved aside the soldiers crowding around mother. On the ground lays queen Mikoto, panting and wheezing. She is in great pain, but she is unwounded.

"Mother!" I scream. "Healer!? What's wrong with her? Sakura, what happened?"

"I-I don't know!" Sakura answers. "I tried healing her but she is unwounded! I-I don't know what's happening! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Mother! Hang in there! Tell me what is happening, mother!? Who did this to you!?"

"T-The spell…" Mother says between wheezes. "The spell… it's breaking… I can't… I can't hold it… there's too much… too much… grief… rage… I can't… I can't… they are breaking through… I can't… no… Takumi… run! Get the other, we have to retreat! I can't… gods… I can't hold on…"

"Mother! I don't understand… I…"

And then we all heard it. It was a sound none of us had heard before. It pierces the air. It pierces our skin. I will never forget what I heard today. The sound awakens an emotion I thought I had long conquered: Dread. We recoil as we hear it. Mother… she looks heartbroken… she looks frightened. And then she screams.

* * *

Effie

"Retreat! Retreat!" Xander commands. "Heavy units to the front! Shield up! Everyone else, fall back!"

It's useless. The Hoshidan already began their attacks. Arrows from land. Arrows from the sky. Everywhere you look, there are arrows. It's a wonder Xander managed to keep a leveled head amidst all this. This isn't a fight. We can't fight back! This is a massacre.

As one of the heavy units, I charge to the front with my shield out, backing up slowly, lessening the arrows killing those of us not blessed with heavy armors and large shields. The Hoshidans rain arrows on us and we are unable to return fire, so this is our only option. Damn cowards! They know we cannot fight back so they stay at a safe distance.

However, not all within their army are cowards. Some are stupid.

Samurais, perhaps wanting an honorable fight, perhaps wanting the glory of a kill, perhaps wishing to remove what little shield we have defending our retreat, occasionally have the audacity to charge at us. To their credits, some of them make it through, killing scores of my comrades. Fools. The queen's spell prevents hostility, and there's no hostility in self-defense. I skewer any samurai who comes my way and any who try the same while my spear is stuck in one of his compatriots gets pummeled to death with my shield.

Is any of this worth it? All this for a prince we barely see, who as it turns out isn't even Nohrian by blood?

Heck yes. Because he is lady Elise's brother. I have no regret if I fall here, defending the prince's rescue. Elise cried so much when Corrin was reported to be missing. I felt useless. I am muscle and nothing more. There was nothing I could do to protect her from the damage in her heart. The most I can do now is ensure his survival, even if it costs me my life. My friend will cry for me too, but at least her brother will be there to comfort her. I could not do that. I do not deserve her friendship.

Another Samurai comes my way and another corpse falls before me. They do come at me a lot. Is it because I'm a woman? Ha! Fat chance. It's because I wear bright pink armor, that's why. I bet my comrades feel pretty stupid fighting next to a woman in bright pink armor, but I have no regret. Elise wanted the armor for me because it was pretty. I agreed because it attracts attention. If they are paying attention to me, they are not paying attention to the man next to me and more importantly, they are not paying attention to Elise.

But by gods does she want the attention sometimes.

I smile to myself, remembering my friend from a happier time. Despite the severity of the situation, I allow myself to remember what I'm fighting for, and what these men are dying for. I stood guard when Elise came to these men, trying to understand them when no one would. She understood far earlier than one could possible hope to understand that her family owes everything to the common soldier defending them. She came to ease the misery in their life, allowing them to indulge themselves again. I wish these men know who they are defending. I wish they could resolutely stand between these arrows and Elise the way I do.

But then a bolt of light strikes down one of the Nohrian knight. I stare, flabbergasted, until another one goes right through the man next to me. It punches right through his shield and thick armor, killing the man instantly.

I raise my shield in panic, even after I have seen first-hand the futility of our defense against such an alien weapon. As I cower behind my shield, my comrades get picked off one by one. I try to spot the archer in question, and only after a long while do I find a silhouette standing on a faraway hill, too far for any of us to do anything about, even if the Hoshidan queen's cowardly spell wasn't in place. I could not believe the enemy was delivering such accurate shots from such a distance. I could barely make out his silhouette and likely would not have been able to if not for the rays of light projecting from it. Samurais start flooding us, killing those of us who are too busy trying to spot the sniper to hold our shield up. Then I notice something, the archer only aims for those of us with shield, leaving the rest for the melee units to deal with.

Crafty bastard. If I am going to go out anyway, I'll take a few more on my way down.

I lower my shield and lets out a bellow, attracting any samurai in the vicinity. "FOR NOHR! FOR PRINCESS ELISE! COME AT ME COWARDS, AND I WILL FEED YOU NOHRIAN STEEL!"

And come they did. With the help of my comrades, who seem to notice what I am trying to do, we take down scores of samurais. Fools who think their honor and bravado can overcome our shields and spears. Perhaps I should count my blessing as royal retainer. With my superior equipment their katana bounce off my gauntlet and their armors break before my spear. One misjudge strike however and I left myself wide open, allowing a nearby samurai to strike through the gap in my armor.

"Curses!" I grunt as the blade digs into my shoulder. As another samurai seems to leap at this chance, I backhand him with my gauntlet, knocking him out cold while I skewer the man trying to pull his blade out of me.

"Effie, get back!" A familiar voice calls out.

"Elise!" I shout in panic, nearly turning my back on the enemies. "Get away from the front line! What are you doing here?"

"No way! I'm needed here, along with my brothers and sisters."

And then it became clear. Of course Elise would not leave after seeing our people drop like flies to these Hoshidans. I allow myself a glimpse and as I suspected my friend goes from man to man, healing their wounds and getting them back on their feet. She had the sense to get off her horse to make herself less noticeable, but this is still exceedingly dangerous for someone her size. She's not even meant to be here! The king gave explicit order to keep her off the front line! Elise... you sweet fool...

Knowing Elise would not retreat no matter what I say, I did the next best thing. I charge.

"Come at me Hoshidan cowards!" I bellow once more. "Are you men or boys, hiding behind that damn archer!? Is this all your samurai pride is worth!? Come at me fools!"

Of course, I could not attack them unprovoked… but they could. Dozens of them come at me and my spear and shield are not enough. So my head joined the battle. I break a samurai face after he figured I would be too busy to fight back after I got my shield stuck in one guy's rib and my spear stuck in another's chest. I break one leg with my foot if my head, spear and shield are too busy to do so. If my head isn't enough to take them out, I let my teeth in on the action. Come at me Hoshidans. If you are looking at me, you are not looking at my friend.

Archer man noticed all the attention I'm getting but he seems to let up the attack for now. I suspect he wants to finish me off, but cannot do so without risking his people.

But then it happened. I made a blunder, a samurai managed to get his sword between a gap in my armor. It destroyed the use of my good hand, forcing me to drop my spear.

"EFFIE!" Elise screams.

I bash the man with my shield and pummeled. The bastard manages to stay up and somehow knocked my shield off as well. So I charge the guy to the ground and beat him to with my armored fist. He was a bloody pulp when I was done with him. It was dirty fighting. It was bloody fighting. It was real fighting. I was prepared for this. I will do this and more to defend my friend.

But I don't think I will ever get to do so. I am disarmed and since I charged away from my allies I am alone among the enemies. I get up, preparing myself to break as many bones as I can before I go down. But a bolt of light strikes. Having seen it coming, albeit far too late, I step back as the arrow pierces my leg. I'm down for good now…

"MEN!" Another familiar voice bellows. "SHIELD UP! CHARGE!"

Arthur… God damn Arthur… He doesn't have the authority to do this. No one will listen…

A wall of cheers proves me wrong, followed by a wall of shields. They cannot go on the offense, but a tsunami of knights will push the Hoshidans back all the same. They overtake me, stepping in between me and the enemies.

"Ha… Haha… you were really scary out there…" Arthur says nervously, pulling me back. "You were more hero than I was, Effie! I couldn't let it slide, you know?"

"You damn fool!" I shout. "Now Elise is really undefended! Where is she? Where…"

"Effie! You idiot!" Elise screams. "You could have died!"

"Men! Shield up!" Xander commands, having noticed what was going on here. "Arthur, take Effie back. Elise, get back, now!"

"No! Effie is wounded, I have to heal her!"

Healing is one of the arts Elise has been practicing and doing well at. And it is a testament to her skill that I now have the use of my hand again. As she moves to my leg, I notice she's on horseback again. Was she prepared to rush out help me? Wait…

"Elise, get off the horse!" I shout. "You stand out on the horse! Get down, now!"

And then it happens. A bolt of light descends from the hill once more. It hits Elise, sending her off her horse. I scramble to get up, tripping over myself as the pain in my leg hit me like a sledgehammer. As I crawl toward Elise, I notice the arrow dissipating into thin air, leaving a gaping hole in my friend's neck.

"Healer! HEALER!" I cradle my friend's body. "HEALER! WHERE ARE THE FUCKING HEALERS!? Elise! Elise… ELISE!"

Arthur stands by my side, lost for words. He drops his weapon in horror, and then he drops to his knees. "Elise…" He whispers.

"Elise!? Elise!" Leo screams. "Healer! Someone find a healer! Xander? What do we do? Elise is… she's…."

"Elise, stay with us…" Xander says with all the composure he could managed, shoving aside anyone standing between him and his sister. "Little sister, please… Too soon… This is too soon! HEALER!"

A wyvern descends from the sky, and Camilla drops off. She snatches my friend from my arm, wailing. "ELISE! Little sister… how... why..."

"Elise…" A voice I did not recognize calls out. "Elise? What happened to Elise!? Get away from her! ALL OF YOU, GET AWAY!"

Prince Corrin shoves me and Camilla aside. As he cradles his sister's corpse, tears roll down his face. The two armies stand unmoving for minutes. The world is silent, if not for Camilla's wailing and Xander's scream for a healer who would not arrive.

Then Corrin breaks the silence. He gets back on his feet, allowing Elise's lifeless body to drops to the ground unceremoniously.

"Who? How?" He asks.

"It was…" A nearby soldier starts and interrupts himself with his own sobbing. "I don't know what it was… it was… like… a bolt of light… shaped like an arrow… it came from the hill… it came… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Corrin turns toward the hill. He stands and stares in silence. And then he drops this weapon and takes a deep breath. There's something in his eyes... He lets back his head and opens his mouth. Prince Corrin lets out a sound I never heard before. I don't think any of us had. But I know what I heard today. I think they all do too. It was a sound that instilled us with awe and terror. But right now, more than anything else, it instills us with the only thing he felt: Rage.

Above us, the wyverns go into a frenzy. They have always been savage, even when tamed, but right now there's a clear uncontrolled bloodlust emitting from them. Their shrieks are deafening and even their riders seem to be visibly disturbed. Many of them, unprompted, descend on the Hoshidan soldiers and start wreaking havoc. The Hoshidans were not prepared for wyverns. Wyverns are native to Nohr and they are vicious and always hungry. But there's a ferocity in them that goes beyond simple instinct. The wyverns are enraged, and they answer Corrin's cry.

The air clears. I look upon the Hoshidans and I feel no desire to spare a single one. The queen's spell is nothing to us. She wishes to curb our aggression? Let's see her try.

Today, we heard a roar of a dragon.


	7. Chapter 7

"Wren"

Dragons… nothing but trouble, the damn creature. Every single time a world-ending threat arises, you can bet there's a dragon somewhere on top causing the whole damn debacle. Cursed Grima, your shadow chases me one way or another, no matter what world I arrive at.

One look at Corrin and I could tell he's one of them. Where I came from, we call them Manakete, but as I understand it, they don't exist in this world. I was ecstatic to learn that in this world at least I would not have to deal with more damn dragons. More fool me. There's a world-ending conflict coming, of course there would be a dragon involved.

I am not certain Corrin is a Manakete, but I am certain he is at least part dragon. We could all tell there's something bestial about the man. His manic red eyes. His predator posture. His inhuman growls. It seems that Corrin is at least partially human at the moment, but I have little doubt this will change in no time. This is a terribly irresponsible thing to say for someone who is meant to be defending the guy, but we better keep our distance. Manaketes have full control of themselves when they turn, but Corrin… let's just say he's more beast than man every passing second.

I approach prince Leo, the one I expect would have the clearest mind right now. "My lord… I know this isn't the time… but has this ever happened before?"

"No…" Leo answers cautiously. "Do you know what is happening to Corrin?"

We look upon the young prince as he sniffs and spasms occasionally, yet he remains relatively still. Even the Hoshidans give pause, letting up their attacks, not wishing to aggravate the creature.

Considering the gravity of the situation, I choose to ignore his question and ask my own. "Does Corrin have a dragonstone?"

"A… what?"

That's a no. Naga helps us all.

"Wren. Tell me what you know." Lord Leo commands, getting impatient that I seem to be withholding information from him.

This is dangerous. I can't exactly reveal that I am from another world. I hastily come up with an excuse. "I've done… research, my lord. I've always been interested in dragons and if you'll excuse me for saying so… Corrin at this point, looks no different than one."

Leo seems somewhat unsatisfied at my answer but if he wanted to press the matter, he did not have the chance.

Corrin… or whatever he is becoming, lets out another thunderous roar. This time, our people begin backing off… allowing him a clear shot at the Hoshidan army.

At this point, in appearance at least, Corrin is human. But if there's any doubt that there's a monster in there, Corrin's bolting straight at the Hoshidan army clears it up. He runs on all for and faster than any pegasi or wyvern I've seen.

"Corrin! No!" Leo shouts, galloping after his brother.

Damn it… dragons are strong. They are mad strong. But even so this is too much. I ride toward prince Xander, who seems to be scrambling for a plan to defend his brother.

"Men! After Corrin!" He commands.

Fat chance. I took one look at him before he left. He was already transforming. His legs were undoubtedly draconic, even if the rest of him wasn't. No horse will be able to catch up to him before he reaches the Hoshidans.

But Xander's mind is too divided to understand this. His heart is still with his sister. As such, he failed to notice Camilla mounting her wyvern.

"Wyvern riders! Charge!" She roars, tears still rolling down her face. "For Nohr! For Elise! For vengeance! For Corrin!"

Xander notices this too late. "Camilla! No! We need to stay together!"

"We need to stay with Corrin!" Camilla flies straight toward the Hoshidan army with her brigade at her back. "Give my brother the distraction he needs, boys! Today, the wyverns feast! Victory or death!"

And off they go. This is going downhill very quickly very fast. What does she plan to do with queen Mikoto's spell…

Oh…

As I look on, Camilla's axe splits a Hoshidan man right down the middle. Her wyvern bites off most of another man's upper body in one chomp. A few nearby greenhorns drop their weapons in shock. The lucky ones get chopped in half. The unlucky ones squirm on the ground with their body in multiple pieces as they bleed out. Wyverns are messy eaters. Seeing that the spell is broken somehow, Camilla's people charge. Most of these Hoshidans are new. This is the start of the war after all. If they are lucky, they got to fight the Nohrian faceless before this. If they are really lucky, they got to fight off Nohrian raids outside their border. None of them have fought a Nohrian wyvern, and the sight of such fearsome beast send many of them running. One way or another, today the wyverns feast.

But enough admiration of wyvern's brutality.

"Lord Xander." I start, getting Xander's attention. "Camilla's attack will keep them distracted from Corrin, but we need to bring him back."

"I know." Xander grits his teeth. "Men, to me! We are going after Corrin. Camilla will clear a path. Armored units, stay with the king and ensure no one can cut off our retreat when we bring Corrin back. Leo… please… hold them together… then we can weep for our sister."

Leo gives no response, but he turns around and start issuing the men's orders. Xander takes this as an affirmative.

Xander and his people ride toward in the direction of Corrin. I and Silas follows.

"My lord." I say. "I recommend we send a smaller team, keep our distance. Corrin seems to be losing his grip on reality by the second, he may not be able to discern friends from foes when we arrive."

"These men fight with swords and spears. They need to get close to Corrin to defend him."

"I say we send in mounted archers. We will be able to keep up with Corrin while still be able to defend him without getting too close."

"We don't have enough. We do not have enough Dark Knights either."

What. Not enough mounted archers!? Father would never have let this slide. Mobile ranged units are integral to the army's versatility. This is madness! The army was mobilized in a rush, but even so...

"Silas. Do you have javellins?" I ask my partner.

"Yes. Enough to last a while. I'll do what I can."

I nod. This is fine. This is fine. Father always said the mark of a true tactician lies in making a winning situation out of a losing hand. I am his daughter. I can work with this. Corrin is a dragon. He'll survive. We…

Then we hear a roar, undoubtedly Corrin's but infinitely more alien than his last. He's more beast than man now. We have to keep up. Naga helps us, let this transformation be reversible.

Following Corrin was a relatively easy job. He runs in a straight path and judging by the inhuman footprints, he runs on all four. On his path are soldiers foolish enough to attempt to take on a dragon. Hoshidans lie on the ground, most of them in multiple pieces, some of them with large chunk of their body missing. A few unlucky fellows have the misfortune to survive. If we had time to spare, we would stop to put them out of their misery. I suppose we should be grateful that the dragon's rampage leaves little survivor to stop us. But time is of the essence, and as we slowly approach our dragon prince, I get the distinct feeling that we will be saving Hoshidans rather than Corrin by following him here.

In front of us stands what we can only hope is Corrin, now fully draconic. He is nowhere as large of ancient dragons like Grima, but substantially larger than both manakete I know. As he walks, Corrin leaves behind small puddles of water, a most peculiar occurrence. His appearance is almost alien when compared to the dragons I've seen, with distinctly peculiar body structures. As we watch, Corrin stands on his hind legs and lets out another roar, this time fully draconic, sending most of the surrounding soldiers running in fear. Corrin slowly prowls forward, approaching a Hoshidan archer. Judging by his equipment and distinctly divine bow, I suspect him to be a nobility of some sort. Is this Elise's killer? If we let him die, will Corrin's anger ceases?

Something tell me… rather than reversing Corrin's condition, this man's death would only signal a permanent transformation. Corrin killed many to get here, but to him they were things that happened to stand between him and his target. I doubt he registered them as human. If he kills this man… if he gives in to his draconic instinct… I fear he may not turn back.

"Corrin, stop this madness!" Xander shouts, riding alone toward his brother.

"My lord, no!" Silas shouts, sensing what I did.

Corrin whirls around as he feels someone approach and with a shriek he nearly blows Xander back. The crown prince manages to keep his horse on the ground, if only barely. He reaches out for his weapon but could not bring himself to raise arms against his brother.

His previous prey had no such reservation. Arrow after arrow flies at the dragon, each barely making a dent on his skin. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" The archer screams.

That was a mistake. Reminded of his goal, Corrin turns around to face the archer and slowly prowls toward him. Something tells me he enjoys the fear in his prey's eyes, so much so that it manages to momentarily stave off his bloodlust.

In front of the archer stands a samurai and a spearwoman, neither of which can claim to face the dragon without fear. Yet they defend the archer all the same, more than willing to die for him.

"Lord Takumi, run!" The samurai shouts, his blade shaking. "Oboro and I will hold him back. Get yourself to safety!"

"Never!" Takumi shouts, though his voice fails to hide his dread. He shoots yet another arrow, hitting the dragon square in the head, which just makes him angrier.

Takumi… prince of Hoshido. If he falls here it will be a great victory for Nohr. I am tempted to let Corrin finish the job, but we have more pressing concern here.

"Corrin! Stop! We can do this another day!" Xander shouts again. "Return to your family. Please, don't let another of us fall this day."

This seems to get his attention. The dragon stops dead in his track. The samurai, foolishly, believes this to be his chance. He charges, faster than any man I've seen, and bring his blade down right in between Corrin's head. To my surprise and horror, the blade manages to pierce through a layer of Corrin's skin. Not that it did the samurai any good. The dragon roars once more, pushing the samurai to the ground with his head. He pins the samurai down with his front leg and as Takumi tries desperately to stop him with more of his strange arrows, Corrin tears the boy to bits with his jaws. The scream was thankfully brief, though that does nothing to ease the horror of the sight of my liege eating another man alive. His savagery is interrupted by a distinctly victorious roar, followed by the dragon setting his sight on Takumi once more.

From the distance I see prince Ryoma and Azura rushing toward Takumi. Not good. Ryoma is strong and he'll likely bring men. We cannot defend Corrin if Corrin can attack us at any second. Think quick Morgan. Think. There must be a way out.

* * *

"Corrin"

Man. Hoshido. Meat. Tear into him. Feast. Arrows don't hurt. Sword hurt. Must eat Hoshido. Hoshido kill Elise. Must kill Hoshido.

Samurai not responsible. Samurai not kill Elise. Takumi kill Elise. Must kill Takumi. Must eat.

"Hi_at_!" Takumi. "Y_U BAS_D!"

Takumi loud. Hate. Hate. Hate. Takumi kill Elise. Must kill Takumi. Must eat. HahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Samurai taste bad. Poor meat. Takumi smell bad. But must eat. Takumi kill Elise.

Sing. Sing the dragon song. Sing Hoshido death.

"C_rin! L_st_ t_ _e!" Familiar man. Nohr. Can't eat. Nohr family. But annoying. Want to eat.

"B_s! C_ bac_! _e ca_ re_ l_r! Y_ _a_ n_ b_ a_l_ _ tu_ b_c_ f_ _is!" Familiar girl. Nohr? Can't eat. Girl good. Not family. But good. Girl not kill Elise. Takumi kill Elise. Must eat.

"_o_r_! T_ _s t_o mu_!" Friend. Nohr. Can't eat. Not family. But friend. Friend not kill Elise. Enemy kill Elise. Must eat.

"NOHR_ SC_!" Hoshido woman. Not Hoshido. But enemy. Takumi's friend. Must eat. Must hurt Takumi. Takumi hurt family. Must hurt Takumi family. HahahaHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Attack Hoshido woman. Hoshido woman dead? Now eat. Now hurt Takumi.

"O_ro!" Takumi.

Must eat Takumi. Must take revenge. Must kill. Approach Takumi. Takumi fear. Good. Takumi hurt. Like Elise. Like family. Good. Revenge smell good. Not like Hoshido meat.

Sing. Sing the dragon song. Sing Takumi pain.

"_rin! T_ b_ _r f_gh_ m_! Y_ w_l n_ h_ _y br_her!" Familiar red man. Hoshido. Samurai. Family? Not family. Familiar red man Takumi family. Takumi enemy. Familiar red man enemy. Eat. Kill. Eat. Kill. Eat. HahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

"Corrin!" Familiar blue woman. Gentle. Friend? Family? "Please stop this! This isn't you! Don't give in like he did! Fight your instincts!"

Woman friend. Woman not enemy. Can't eat woman. Takumi enemy. Eat Takumi.

Red man attack! Red man fast. Red man enemy. Eat red man. Sword hurt.

Sing. Sing the dragon song. Sing new enemy.

"Ryoma! Stay back!" Blue woman. Woman red man friend? Red man Takumi friend. Woman not friend.

Eat woman. Woman Takumi friend. Woman enemy. Eat.

"You are the ocean's gray waves…" Woman. Woman strange. Woman peace… Woman not enemy… Woman Takumi friend! Eat.

Attack woman. Woman fall.

"… destined to seek… life beyond the shore, just out of reach…" Woman… Azura? Azura. Azura cousin. Azura family.

Azura Takumi family! Azura not family! Azura defend Takumi. Takumi kill Elise. Azura kill Elise. Eat. Must eat. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. Hate. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Sing. Sing the dragon song. Sing Azura betrayal.

"Please… forgive him." Azura. "Try to find it in you some day... please..." Eat Azura. Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat.

Hurt! Pain. Pain. Someone. Magic. Who?

"ELFIRE!" Nohr woman! Nohr woman attack! Nohr woman enemy. "Get away from my daughter!"

Nohr woman Azura family. Nohr woman kill Elise. Nohr woman enemy. Eat.

"… yet the waters ever change…" Azura… cousin? Cousin sings. Cousin is enemy. Cousin is enemy? Cousin is family?

"… flowing like time…" Nohr woman… Arete? Arete sings. Arete is enemy. Is Arete enemy?

Don't know! Arete attacked. Attack Arete.

"Corrin, n_!" Familiar man gets in the way… Xander? Xander. Xander is brother. Xander is family. Xander defends enemy? But Xander is family. Xander is never enemy. Never.

"The path is yours to climb." Azura sings. Arete sings.

"Corrin… p_ase…" Xander begs. "D_'t sp_l m_r_ family bl_d… R_urn _o u_... f_r m_... _or Elise…"

Elise… Elise is Xander's family. Elise's death hurts Xander. Azura is Arete's family. Azura's death hurts Arete. Arete is Xander's family. Arete's pain hurts Xander. Xander is family. Xander hurts, Corrin hurts. Protect Xander. Protect family. Azura… not enemy.

"Corrin… please…" Xander hugs. Xander warm. Xander family. Never enemy. Not like Hoshido. Not like Takumi.

I want to come back. I want to be with them.

* * *

Corrin

What's… What's going on?

Without thinking about it, I feel my face with my own hands to examine whether anything is off. With some small irregularities that I can't quite pinpoint, everything seems to be in place. As I examine the surrounding, Takumi enters my sight, and a murderous intent wells up in me once more.

"Murderer!" I shout and nearly lunge at him, weaponless, if Xander had not stopped me.

"Enough, Corrin… please…" Xander says, almost pleading, holding me back firmly.

"M-Monster…" Takumi says, his bow aimed straight at me.

Ryoma extends an arm to stop him. "No… Not today… Not ever… We'll bring him back, alive."

"You can't mean that! Look at what he did! He… He killed Hinata! He killed so many of us…"

"Please, Takumi… for mother…"

"Who's Hinata? What does he mean?" I ask.

"Nohrian freak…" A girl sneers at me as she gets up from the ground, greatly wounded. She holds her weapon as tightly as she could, considering her wounds, but she poses no threat. The fact that she got up at all is a miracle. She looks like she just got trampled by a wyvern and survived.

Seeing that I am distracted, Takumi lets loose an "arrow" my way. If it wasn't for Ryoma, who knocked him back at the last moment, it may have killed me.

"LET GO, RYOMA!" Takumi yells, struggling against his much more physically imposing brother. "He killed my retainer! He killed Hinata!"

Ryoma ignores his little brother, holding him in place. He turns toward Xander. "I think we can agree that neither of us is in a position to fight. Bring Corrin back to Nohr if you must. We will get him back one day. But today you can have this victory… if you swear to harm no more Hoshidans on your way back."

Xander nods. "I will forgive the wrong you have done us today... for now. But rest assure, we will come back. This will not slide, prince of Hoshido. Our sister will have her justice."

Ryoma looks somewhat confused. "What do you mean."

I spit on the ground in anger, in the direction of Takumi. "You killed our sister, Takumi. She was a child, pure and innocent. She was to be the heart of the Nohrian people. She was sweet. She was good. You murdered her."

"Liar! I never even met your sister!" Takumi shouts back, still struggling against his brother.

"Elise is her name… You killed her in cold blood. If Hoshido defends you, it has no honor." I look at Ryoma. "And any man who defends this killer is no family of mine." I turn toward Azura. "Even you."

Queen Arete puts a hand on my shoulder. "Let it go, child…"

"Oh she wasn't your family was she!? Elise…"

"Let. It. Go." Xander commands. "For now…"

I grimace. "Fine."

I turn away, intending to walk away from this wretched place. I am immediately greeted with a horrifying sight. A samurai lies on the ground, if one can even call him such in his current stage. His bodies are in multiple pieces, with one limb and most of his torso missing. His sword hand still grips his weapon firmly, or as firmly as a dead hand can, but his expression is that of pure terror.

"W-Who has done this…"

"You have." Azura answers, from behind me. I dare not look back.

"Don't worry about it boss." Wren pats my back as comfortingly as she could manage. "We'll tell you what happened. Then we'll figure it out somehow."

As I walk away from the corpse, horrified. I notice a strange taste in my mouth. As I lick my lip, I notice a thick, liquid on my tongue. It smelled faintly like the body of the man I just left behind. Instead of spitting it out, I instinctively shallow. I find it greatly discomforting that the taste was not entirely unpleasant.

"Wait!" Azura calls out.

I stop myself, but do not turn back.

"Here. Take this." Azura rushes after me and hold out something. I turn around to examine a strange, smooth, spherical rock in her hands. "This is for your sake, and your family."

I look at the object in suspicion. As I touch it, I can feel a strange shroud, blocking away a part of me. A rumbling inside me I never noticed fade as I hold the strange stone. I let the stone drops the ground and it all comes back. The rumbling, louder now that I notice it, is almost deafening. I can feel it within me. This stone seeks to control this part of me, to tame it, to curb its raw instincts.

"I won't be needing this."

"What!? Why!?" Azura asks, more shocked than I've ever seen her.

I could feel myself weakened when I touched the stone. My mind cleared and I had control over myself. But that part of me was forcibly held back. I cannot explain it, but I do not want any of this. This part of me...

Having seen the look in my eyes, Azura stares at me in horror. "You... You want more..."

I give her no answer. I am too afraid to admit it out loud. But she is not wrong.

"T-Take it with you at least! You don't have to use it... just... I need to know you can turn back... please... one is too much... do not force this upon the world."

I look at her. Why does she care? Does she fear for her Hoshidan family? No... there's more to it than that... Perhaps she is honest. Perhaps she truly fears for the fate of the world... If this will give her the peace of mind... so be it. I pick up the stone.

The rumbling goes away. I-Isn't this better? I can think clearly. When I look down at this samurai... Hinata's body... I feel disgusted. I... killed him... without any control over myself. Can I still do it with the stone? Do I want to? I walk away, thinking this. This seems to appease Azura, who quickly turns to walk back with Ryoma and the others.

I hand Wren the stone quietly and as she takes it off my hand, I am immediately assailed by the rumbling once more. As I begin walking away with the others, my previous thoughts dissipate. Why did I think I could trust that woman? She seeks to control me, to weaken me. This... This is power... This is how I'll take revenge. I'll control this... if not, I'll become this. Prince Corrin is weak. Prince Corrin is soft. He need to change or die. For Nohr. For Elise.

We walk toward our army, which seems to be where it was before I blacked out. This time, the Hoshidan army is nowhere to be seen. I am escorted by Xander, my two retainers, queen Arete and a squadron of cavalries who seem increasingly unneeded considering the devastation already done to our enemy. The number of corpses is staggering but nowhere near the number Hoshido had as I remember it. Ryoma must have made good on his words. As we make our way back, I survey the surrounding. The damage done to the Hoshidan army is terrifying. There are so many corpses, most of them with pieces missing, some of them must have been fleeing. I cannot stop myself from asking. "What happened here?"

An uncomfortable silence hangs over the group. Silas breaks the silence. "We didn't see it happen…"

"No... tell me. What happened after I blacked out and how did I end up in the middle of the Hoshidan army?"

Another long silence. Wren breaks it this time. "Alright fine… there's no skirting around this one… You turned into a dragon."

"A… dragon?"

"Yeah… about the size of three or four grown men."

"That's… not possible…"

"We didn't think so either…" Xander says.

"H-How?"

"Nobody knows. What is the last thing you remember?"

I strain my mind, trying to recall my last conscious moment before an all-encompassing darkness took over. "Elise was in my arms… all I could think about was how painful it is… and how much I wanted to hurt this whole damn kingdom. I asked for the one responsible, and when I knew it was Takumi, I wanted to hurt him… I wanted to kill him. And then I hear something... it was so still... so peaceful... it sounded like water. Then... I don't know... after that... nothing. All I know was that I wanted to hurt them..."

"So did we." Wren muses. "But we didn't turn into dragons. Must be something different about you."

"We could feel queen Mikoto's spell the whole time." Silas says. "We were trying to push back against it, to fight back. But the air of peace is almost… oppressive. We couldn't break through, despite how much we tried. Our emotions seem to be pushing against the barrier but it was too much. When Elise dies… our anger and grief… I think it broke the spell. I think it was too much for the Hoshidan queen to curb."

"So… I turned into a dragon?" I ask again, still unable to fully grasp it.

Wren nods. "You looked toward the hill where the arrow came from and you roared."

"I thought it was a wolfskin's howl at first." Silas muses. "But I think we all could tell there was something… draconic about you then. Something more bestial than the wolves."

"You charged straight toward the Hoshidans." Wren says. "You were so fast. We couldn't see clearly. But we could hear the Hoshidan's screams of terror and pain. I think they could have overwhelmed you still, but lady Camilla had similar ideas. She didn't turn into a dragon though. She and her entire horde of Wyvern Riders just charged at the Hoshido army and wreaked havoc."

"I-Is she fine?" I ask.

"She should be. When you… roared, I saw the Hoshidan queen. I could tell she was losing control and she did her best to steer toward her army before she fell. I think I saw her daughter escaped with her on a pegasi. Ryoma was taken off-guard and was blindsided by both your and Camilla's sudden attack. I saw them fight back but after you scatter a significant chunk of their army and killed dozens in your path they did not have the formation to deal with a horde of wyvern riders. And the wyverns... it's like they went feral. It was scary. They lost much more than we did."

"No they did not."

"No…" Xander says.

We make the rest of the way back in silence. Leo awaits us at the edge of the army. It seems Xander left him here to take care of things while he was away but seeing that the Hoshidans fled after Camilla's and my attack, it seems like that was not strictly necessary. Leo looks at us, the blankest look on his face. He quickly nods to us and turns away, allowing Xander to assume control of the men once more. His retainers follow him quickly, their sadness dwarfed by their concern for their liege. Xander quickly takes over, giving them orders but not truly hearing the words he speak. The men do as they are told but I could tell their heart is elsewhere.

As I finally get close to the main bulk of our army, I see father standing in the middle of it. Camilla, despite her tall stature, is greatly dwarfed by father. They seem to be saying something we could not quite make out, before my sister clings to Garon, sobbing. I wonder if that's what I look like sometimes. I wonder if that's what we all look like at one point or another. We all need an anchor, and it never occurred to me that Camilla, who had been my anchor all this time, may need one for herself. Sweet sister... I promise... the Hoshidans will pay for this.

And father… he looks weaker than I have ever seen him look. He makes some half-hearted gesture at his men, who quickly cover Elise's body with a cloth and take her away. Elise's retainers are nowhere to be seen and despite the fact that we have done greater damage to their army by far, they have come out the victor today. Lady Arete rides ahead and leads both Garon and Camilla away, trying to comfort them in whatever way she could. Even she, an outsider in our family, isn't untouched by the death of our princess. Elise may not be of her blood but she is family all the same. I was wrong to think otherwise.

I keep my distance from all this. Grief is contagious, and though sooner or later it will come to me, I want to hold it off for now. I want to nurture this hatred toward Elise's killer and all those who call me family while defending him. I want to savor the taste in my mouth, promising myself that this will not be the last time I taste Hoshidan blood.

Perhaps noticing my aura, Wren says "That's not healthy, boss."

"I agree with her, Corrin." Silas chimes in. "This isn't you."

It will have to be. Corrin the boy prince will not give his sister's justice. The dragon will. Sane or otherwise, the dragon is strong and Corrin is weak. Elise didn't die while the dragon was around. Elise died because her brother failed to defend her. This is a small price to pay. Elise... oh gods Elise... Please let there be a life after this one... Elise did not live enough. It can't end here... Please let her smile brightens another world. This world... it will have to make do.

Wren hands me back my rapier, which I must have dropped after I transformed. I take the sword, but even as I hold it, it looks small and weak. The weapon makes me feel uncomfortable. It makes me feel as if it is holding me back from becoming... whatever I am becoming. It feels as if it is trying to tell me that there is another way... a human way.

It is wrong. This is the only way. It must be so. This sword, like Corrin, is weak, inadequate.

But perhaps I need not abandon it... as i sheath my sword, I feel a small amount of comfort, drowning out my previous reservation for the weapon.

I don't know what I am. I don't know what I'm becoming. But I'm not ready to toss away Corrin yet... Perhaps he has a place in me... somewhere deep down. I don't know... I don't know...


	8. Chapter 8

Xander

"Sir."

Elise died.

"Sir."

I let my sister died.

"Sir…"

Where was I? Gods where was I? How could I let her be there in the first place.

"P-Prince Xander."

Why did I think it was okay to allowed my sister, still a child, on the battlefield? It's on me… All this is on me… I could have stopped this war. We may have been able to negotiate. Father may still be reasonable. Now… the men want blood. Camilla wants blood. Corrin… Corrin tasted blood… I think he wants more. And the wyverns… gods only know what's going on with the beasts… but it happens after she dies… the wyverns are going mad as well… How could I…

"Sir!"

A man's voice snaps me out of my trance. I look at the soldier, but I fail to actually see him. Usually they would never dare to raise their voice against nobility, but today… it's like the whole kingdom went mad. These men are no different from the wyverns right now.

"Report." I say, without realizing what I actually said.

The man does as he was told. Hoshidan raids. Reports on the ice tribe. Our casualty. Logistical concerns. Equipment shortage. Permission for more conscription. It goes on and on and on and on. I hear him but I fail to truly listen to him. After a few minutes, I could not handle it anymore. I motion the man to let me read the papers for myself and leave me. As he exits the room, I slump on my chair again, a sight most unbefitting for a Nohrian prince. Hell, what are Nohrian princes meant to look like anyway?

The whole kingdom is in grief over my sister's death. I wish I had that privilege. Gods what am I doing here? I should be with my family. If we weep, we need to do it together. Camilla is alone. Leo is alone. Corrin is alone… even Elise's retainers… someone needs to see them as well. They were so good... so loyal... So many things to do… so many things…

And father… Where is father? There was a time when he would knock over his entire table and shouted at his entire council to leave and rush to us if one of us so much as shed a tear. He would leap out of his throne if he must and he would play with us until we get better. He was so silly, thinking about it... Where did it all go wrong?

Where is father right now? Does he weep for Elise too? Or is he in his own room somewhere, reading through the same reports, lamenting his position just as I do. Gods I want him to be here. I want to talk to him. I want him to talk to me, to tell me the same thing I tell my siblings. To tell me that everything will be fine. To tell me he'll handle everything. To tell me I'm strong enough.

Because I'm not.

I snap myself out of self-pity and half-heartedly grab the reports before me. My eyes gloss over them. Then I had to start again when I realize I failed to actually read them the first time. Then by the time I get to the end of the paper I realize I had forgotten what the last sentence I read was. I was half way through the second sentence once more when I crumbled up the reports and tossed them at the nearest wall.

"Xander… you can't continue like this."

I look up. Leo stands before me, his eyes filled with concern. I sigh, but fail to give him any form of answer.

"You need to actually get some rest." He continues. "You did not sleep the day Corrin was kidnapped. You have not slept when you came back. You are not sleeping now. This is a problem."

"Those are problems." I point at the crumbled up reports. "Someone is going to have to solve them."

Leo grit his teeth. "Yes. Let the council handle it. Let Iago handle it. You cannot fix everything, Xander. No one man can carry a whole kingdom on his shoulders."

I snort. "The council? Iago? You've been on a Nohrian council Leo. If I'm not here, they'll tear out each other's throat to garner favors. If I let Iago handle it all the problems will magically be solved today and come back tenfold next week."

"Then let me handle it."

"I cannot allow you to do that."

"Why!?"

"Because you are my younger brother. I cannot force this burden onto you."

Leo rubs his temple. "Damn it Xander. Just cut it out!"

I lean back in my chair, eyes close. I know what he means. It is arrogant. It is foolish. It is self-indulgent even. But it is my duty regardless. As the crown prince and as their eldest brother, it is my duty to do this.

But am I doing more harm than good like this? Almost certainly… Leo can handle it. He can probably handle it better than I can, given time. And he's right. I'm tired. I'm so tired. I do not think I can continue like this for long. Perhaps… perhaps it won't be so bad…

"Xander… please…" Leo starts.

"I know… I know…" I say, nearly in a whisper. "I… understand what you are saying. Promise to keep me up-to-date when I'm back okay?"

"What? I... O-Of course…"

"I won't take long… maybe five hours…"

"Ten hours at least." Leo insists, the relief in his voice makes me happy.

"Haha… yeah… okay… ten hours… when I'm back… I promise… we'll work together… You're right… I can't… handle this myself… Gods, father didn't have any sibling… Maybe that's why he became so bitter… I'm so blessed to have all of you… Just..."

Leo lays a hand on my shoulder. "It's alright, brother. I'll take care of things, I promise. But do keep your end of the bargain, okay? Next time, we shoulder this burden together."

I allow myself to shut my eyes once more. "Yeah… yeah okay… definitely… Now… Just let me… get… up…"

Despite my words, I fail to move a single limb. Before sleep takes me, I can feel a soft piece of cloak laid upon me, followed by the rustling of papers. Occasionally a sigh or two, and sometimes even idle cursing. But otherwise, silence. It's comforting in its own way. My brother's voice gives me comfort. I'm sorry Leo... if only you were born first... But then again, I wouldn't wish this upon anyone... But at least, allow me a small moment of selfishness.

* * *

Corrin

I stand in the middle of my fortress's courtyard. I look upon my two retainers, both of whom carry a wyrmslayer at my order. We are not entirely certain whether a wyrmslayer would kill a dragon as it would a wyvern, but I am willing to find out.

"This is a poor idea boss." Wren says for the umpteenth time.

"I concur." Silas states simply.

I ignore them. I stand my ground as I nurture my emotions. I think of Elise. I think of the sight of my family crying. I think of Takumi. I think of Hoshido.

And then all my thoughts blend into one simple emotion: Rage.

"Corrin… please don't do this…" Silas says. His words fall on deaf ears.

I hold this simple emotion close to me. I hold it back, for now, and I remember the sensation I felt on my teeth and tongue as I sank my fangs into Hoshidan flesh. I feel my flesh change. I feel my bloodlust rises.

I look at my hands and notice that they are no longer human. Large claws, big enough and strong enough to crush a grown man's head, sit where my fingers used to. I swing them experimentally and wince in pain as the force in my hand was too much for my arm. I would have experimented further had my body not continue to transform without my command.

My feet, I notice, are replaced with hoof-like things. This times I dare not wait to get used to them, fearing that the rest of my body would transform, taking my mind in exchange for this power. I begin to walk, noticing little that is different. Then I begin to run and find that I am on the other side of the courtyard before I know it. I try jumping and find myself several meters above the ground. I feel nothing as I land, even if I my feet had put two large holes on the ground due to sheer force.

Then I feel a strange hard surface covering my face. I lose the use of my eyes, but find that I do not need them. I could feel where my retainers are without looking at them. I could feel things I could not see, hear or smell. If I focus hard, I could feel the weeping all over Nohr. It is deafening. Shut up. Shut up!

"Boss… that's enough." Wren says, brandishing her weapon. "Look, take it slow. We need to make sure you can will yourself back to normal. We ne_ t_..."

She's… She's right… This is too…

* * *

"Corrin"

Not. Enough. Not. Enough. Elise. Elise. Elise. Elise. Elise. Elise. HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Hoshido killed Elise. Hoshido killed. Takumi killed. Takumi enemy. Hoshido enemy. Hurt them. Kill them. Devour them. Feast. A feast! A Hoshidan feast! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Must kill. Must. Hatred too much. It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts.

Weep. Nohr weep. Not right. Injustice. Hoshido must hurt.

Sing. Sing the dragon song. Sing the Nohrian grief.

"B_s!" Girl. Wren? Wren…

"C_r_n! D_'t m_ke _s d_ th_!" Nohrian friend. Silas?

"Th_k _f y_r family b_s! The_ wo_d n_t w_t th_s!" Wren.

Family? Family want prince. Family not want dragon. Family hurt.

No. Must be prince. Must be Corrin. Must not hurt family.

Must.

* * *

Corrin

I pant and wheeze in pain. All my draconic features are completely gone. My face, hands and feet are back to normal and I could not feel things the way I did seconds before. The rumbling is deafening, angrier than ever before that I had staved off my instincts once more. It leaves a hole in my being, but I do not know if that's a good or a bad thing. But I am glad I could turn back…

"Thank you... Wren, Silas…" I mutter.

"You can thank us by never doing that again!" Silas tosses the wyrmslayer at my feet and turn away angrily.

I choose not to stop him as he walks out. I will not apologize for this. This is necessary. I must do this for Elise and for Nohr. I will not apologize for doing what must be done.

Wren walks up to me, sheathing her weapon. "I don't suppose I can talk you out of this foolishness?" She asks as she returns the dragonstone.

I shake my head.

"Then I disagree with Silas. Next time you turn, I'd much rather you can control yourself. I do not think we can stop it… especially when you refuse to use the damn dragonstone."

"A what?"

"The thing Azura gave you. I practically have to keep it for you since you refuse to hold the thing for long period of time."

The stone holds me back. It makes me more human than dragon, before or after I transform. I am making progress in controlling this power, relying on the stone will put all that effort back to square one.

My retainer sighs. "You will have to control your draconic instinct through brute force."

"The Nohrian way then."

Wren shakes her head. "This is stupid on so many levels… We have the manpower. We can take Hoshido with that if we really must. Can I have one last attempt to stop you from relying on this power you have?"

"No."

Every Hoshidan I kill is one that will not harm a Nohrian. Every Hoshidan I kill will not attempt to take my family away. I cannot rely on them. We tried to rely on Elise, that killed her. I will not make the same mistake.

Wren sighs. "Then you should know as much as possible. When you started losing it, you were not even fully dragon. Most of your body had transformed but your frame was still human this time. Next time we must find out whether you losing your mind is proportional to how much you have changed or is it dependent on the amount of time you have spent changed. Or perhaps you can hold off for as long as you can will yourself to remain at least partially yourself. Maybe a combination of all of those. Can you feel yourself losing it before you do?"

I nod.

"That's some small comfort at least. Yet you couldn't hold back. You did, in the end, managed to reverse the chance however so it's possible. Attempt to stop yourself earlier next time, we may not be so lucky again."

"That sound sensible."

Wren sighs again. "What would be truly sensible is to leave all this draconic business for good, boss, but I see those words will forever fall on deaf ears. No matter, it is my job to keep you alive, even if you intend to make it nigh impossible."

"Thanks, Wren."

"Yeah yeah… Don't forget to say the same thing to Silas. He cares about you more than I do. That's why he wants none of this nonsense. He really does not want to make this compromise. He's dead scared you know... for you. He never even drew his sword."

"I know…"

"I would certainly hope so."

Wren goes uncharacteristically quiet for a long while. Normally she would go off to take care of other business. She doesn't seem like the type to idle around or dance around things.

"Do you have something you want to say?" I ask.

"Yeah… yeah…" Wren nods. "I just don't know if I want to say it yet…"

"Out with it then."

"Right… So here's the thing. You know how you were captured by Hoshidan ninja and Flora was somehow conveniently spared and sent back to her home despite being able to inform Garon of your disappearance any time she pleases?"

"… Yeah?"

I realize my foolishness as soon as the word was out of my mouth.

"Well that didn't happen." Wren continues. "Flora did not inform Garon of your disappearance immediately because she is one of the main perpetrators. We investigated her tribe once I brought up the connection. Lo and behold, the Ice Tribe had access to weapons and supplies they had no way of obtaining by themselves. We scouted as much as we could without being noticed and as far as we know the Ice Tribe are conscripting their people and training up a sizable militia. Look, I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Flora betrayed us. Her tribe plans on rebelling against Nohr. Sooner or later, Garon is going to deal with it. I do not think they expect a preempted attack, the rebellion would be put down quickly."

I mask my feelings on the matter behind simple words. "Then why are you telling me this?"

"Because you obviously care for this Flora girl. Whatever you feel about her betrayal, I think it is only fair to inform you of this before Garon takes matter into his own hand. If you no longer care for this girl, I suggest you let the king handle this. It will be swiftly dealt with and soon forgotten, as with almost any rebellion. If you feel this girl had wronged you and deserve justice, I suggest you bring the matter to Garon because if you let him deal with it you will be lucky if Flora even get a public execution. If some part of you still care for the girl however, I suggest you think of a plan quick. Your father will not allow her to go free, not without our help. What say you?"

I don't know. I don't know how I feel about all this. First Elise's death, then Flora's betrayal. This is too much to take in. How do I feel about Flora? Her machinations led to my sister's death. What excuse does she have? I do not know how I feel, but one thing is certain. I will not let father simply "deal" with this. This is my business now.

"I say we pack some warm clothes, Wren. We have a rebellion to put down."

* * *

"Selena"

Where's the damn girl? I scan the tavern quickly, almost in panic, moving from table to table. I relax when I finally spot Morgan. As I approach her I am surprised by the smell of alcohol. I wouldn't say she reeks of it but I do not think she drank sparingly.

I take my seat at Morgan's table.

"Go away… I'm not interested." Morgan groans, not bothering to look up. She takes another sip from her drink.

"Are you old enough for that?" I ask. Then I turn toward the nearest server. "Oi! Get me some beer over here!"

"Huh… hey Selena…"

"So are you interested now?"

"Didn't know you were interested in girls… Much less your…"

"Eww… no!"

Morgan giggles. "You're too easy, Selena." She then takes a big sip. "Yeah I'm old enough for alcohol. I'm old enough to kill. I'm old enough to have kids… probably. What of it?"

"Just…. You didn't seem like the type." I observe her carefully for a second. "And this isn't your first drink either."

"Heck no. You've seen Nohr. It's depressing as hell. I need this."

I opt not to point out how utterly out-of-character for her this is. Morgan always pointed out how tacticians shouldn't be drinking these things. They need to keep their mind sharp, be ready at any time. Alcohol hinders their thinking and could cost them their army's life. But she started drinking even before the war started. Before princess Elise…

"You're thinking." Morgan says. "That's a rare occurrence."

"Hey!"

"I kid… You're a bright girl… much brighter than you look, anyway."

I cross my arms and lean back. "I'm older than you, you know. It doesn't sound right coming from you."

"Yeah? Well, I'm stinking drunk. That's my excuse. Also I'm smart. I get to say that if I'm smart."

I sigh, snatching the drink from her hand.

"Hey! Give that back!" Morgan whines, half-heartedly trying to get her drink back.

"I'll give it back if you are not too drunk to recite the names of your immediate family members."

"Easy… Robin…"

I flick her forehead to stop her from revealing anymore.

"Ouch! What was that for!?"

"What was that about keeping secrecy hmm?"

Morgan raises an eyebrow, then she realized what I was doing. "Clever girl…" She then sits back and sighs. "Alright. Fine. Probably for the best. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day anyway."

My drink arrives before I can asks her what she means. I pay the server before adding "some water for the stinking drunk girl, too. She'll pay."

Morgan sticks her tongue at me. She then sinks back in her seat, crossing her arms. "So how did you find me?"

"Eh… who's that guy working for Corrin… the one with the dumb hair."

"Silas." Morgan tilts her head for a second. "Gunter's hair is alright... Jakob is fashionable from top to bottom... yeah got to be Silas."

"Yeah. Probably him. Showed up at the North Fortress and asked the first person I see. He pointed me this way."

"Lame."

"Shut up." What, does she want a long and riveting saga about the great search?

Morgan's drink arrives. She begrudgingly pays the server. Her eyes seem a bit sharper after a few sips.

"So… do you get hit on that often?" I ask, questioning her first response to me sitting down at her table.

"Sometimes." She shrugs. "I usually just use the opportunity to rob them blind… unless they're cute. Not in the mood for it today though. Not in the mood for anything." She takes another sip, then grimaces when she remembers it's just water.

"Don't complain. No one ever hit on me."

"They probably don't want to hit on a girl who hits back."

"Cowards…"

"Yeah… you hit really hard though…" She cringes, rubbing her cheek. "Are you dating anybody?"

I nearly spit out my drink. "No… why?"

"Just wondering. Don't bed anyone other than the other two… Too much complications…" She then stops to think for a while. "Actually don't bed the other two either. Talk to me first if you really must."

"What? Why?"

"I may want to bone one of them. Laslow's pretty at least and Odin's kind of adorable. Also I'm dead scared you'll fuck up your first relationship then refuses to have a go at it ever again. Oh gods that sounds like a real possibility…"

"I'm older than you are! You don't get to have this talk with me!" I protest.

"Yeah yeah… Gods you're always so jumpy with this topic…"

I desperately look for another topic to leap onto. "So… you changed your attire…"

Morgan now wears a nondescript robe. In shape and form, it is nearly identical to what she wore before she came here, except whereas before her robe was decorated with Grimleal symbols, like her father's, it is now entirely devoid of any sort of decorative feature.

"Yeah? So did you three." Morgan shrugs.

"Well yeah… but… you just didn't seem like the type?"

"How so?"

"Well… I just figured since you didn't grow that much, you wouldn't change your robe. It seemed to me that you would not change your attire for any reason other than efficiency and to me what you wear right now is, in function at least, identical to what you had before. I always figured you would wear the same thing all the way into adulthood…"

Morgan looks away, giving me no answer.

"Morgan?" I ask, actually concerned that she doesn't have a smartass response.

"W-What?"

She didn't call me out for using her real name. That's not a good sign...

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I changed the robe because I felt like it, okay? That's all."

I sigh, crossing my arms. I knew that when Morgan gets like this, the best way to get an answer out of her is to not push. I wait for an entirety of three minutes in utter silence. Just when I thought it was becoming too much even for me, Morgan speaks up.

"That robe… it bore the mark of Grima."

I tense up. Her voice shows strong signs of trauma. Due to her amnesia, she never had to carry the baggage like the rest of us. But now, she seems to have more damage in her than all of us combined.

"… so? It was never a problem for you or…"

"In this body…" Morgan hugs herself, her eyes blank. She does not seem to register what I've just said and instead she mutters something to herself repeatedly. Only after a while did I make out her words. "In this body… flows this dirty blood…"

"M-Morgan?"

It was only for a split second, but I saw her eyes quickly snap back into focus. "I tripped over a tree branch and tore my robe right open you know?" She says with a shrug and a grin. "Had to get a new one. Wasn't cheap, I'll tell you. I asked the nearest tailor to get me something like it but he demanded extra if I wanted all the same decorations too. Was on a budget so I had to settle for what I could."

I stare in silence, not sure what to say. Her smile freezes on her face for a while before she leans back and down another gulp from her drink. When I gather the courage to push further, there was something in her eyes that forced me to reconsider. Not now… There is too much going on now… but even so… sooner or later I must find out what is going on. What happened to my cheerful, unflappable Morgan?

But for now, I opt to wait.

"So why are you drinking?" I ask, hastily changing the topic.

"Because some bitch bought me a drink I didn't want with my money. And I'm also kind of thirsty."

I am very glad that her snarky comments are back. Let's put leave business for another day.

"Language." I chide.

"You're not one to talk. And before you say anything you don't get to use the 'I'm older excuse' anymore Selena."

"Whatever. You know what I mean. Why were you drinking alcohol?"

Morgan sighs. "Because my liege is going mad. Because two kingdoms are at war for a stupid reason. Because we are running a real risk of failing to fulfill the reason why we are here."

I grit my teeth. "We are not fighting for a stupid reason. They killed Elise."

She just shrugs. "We're not here to defend her."

"They. Killed. Her."

"It's war."

"Elise! She was a child!"

"Shouldn't have been on the battlefield then."

I stand up, nearly knocking my chair over.

"It's dreadful…" Morgan concedes. "She was the nicest girl I ever met. The princess died too young. But it's war. People die."

"Lady Camilla… she's shut away in her room ever since she came back… Her siblings… even the king… How could you…"

"You think I don't know!?" Morgan answers, nearly shouting. "My liege is going mad… He's going feral… He wants literal blood. He ate people, Selena, and he wants more. I could hardly blame him. If you had been the one to fall back there, I'd want blood too."

"Then why…"

"Because I am blessed with the fact that all those close to me are alive and well. I can think with a clear head. And no matter how you look at it, Elise's death was unfortunate, but unless we snap out of this she will be the first of many."

I slump down on my chair. I know she's right, but I cannot accept it. What Elise's death is doing to lady Camilla… I cannot forgive the Hoshidans for this. I've never met her killer, I'm barely even a friend of hers, but the man who shot Elise… I want to bring his head to lady Camilla… I want this justice for her sister. Maybe then she'll be back to normal.

"Why are you not with her?" Morgan asks. I notice she has snatched back the drink I took from her, and is now back to drowning out all the unpleasantness around.

"Who?"

"Your liege. Titty lady."

I sigh. "Because if I'm with her I can't be with you, and you need this."

"She needs it too."

"She got Beruka."

"Would you let your college score points with lady Camilla while you're wasting away with me?"

"I'll get back to her. But I need this too."

Morgan raises an eyebrow at that.

I take a deep breath. Sooner or later, I'll have to admit it. "Before Corrin was taken… You wanted to tail him… I wanted to spend more time with you immediately… so I talked you out of it… If I hadn't done so… we wouldn't be in this mess… Elise's death… to think I'm respons…"

"HEY! Stop it." Morgan interrupts.

"You know I'm right."

"Don't presume to claim what I know. You were right… about leaving Corrin to himself. It ended poorly, but that was due to circumstances outside our knowledge. Blaming yourself because you made the correct choice based on the information you had is foolish. Quit it."

"But…" I stop myself when I notice my voice cracking.

"No! Quit it. You are not at fault, of that I'm certain."

"I'm not..."

"Oh damn it all... My liege is in grief. His family is in grief. The whole damn kingdom is in grief. Please… Sev… show me that stubborn confidence you are known for. Tell me you are always correct even when you aren't. I need someone… anyone… to tell me we can come out of this on top… that we'll be fine. Please…"

I sniff, which likely takes away any credibility I could have had. "Alright… alright…"

"Ah damn it… and you keep playing the 'age' card on me. HEY! WAITER! SOME MORE DRINKS OVER HERE! Right, Sev. I got a lot of work to do tomorrow, so I'm going to cut down on the drinks a bit. But neither of us is going to walk out of here until you feel better okay? You can do that for me right?"

"I-I think so…"

"Oh gods this turned around so fast… Where are the other two when you need them? Right, Sev… drink. Yeah… like that… Wow, slow down! Ah geez… SOME WATER OVER HERE! Right, poor idea. You're a total lightweight. Learn something everyday. Maybe we can get some food after this… Gods, Sev… you're such a crybaby sometimes."

"Shut up…" I say, giggling.

"Yeah… that's better… Maybe we can get Laslow to hit on some poor girl so we can laugh at him afterward. Something… there got to be something… Sparring? You like sparring right, you damn brute? Would that make you feel better?"

"You know I would trounce you in under a minute."

"Ooh. Feisty. Good. Naga helps me you really need a boyfriend to deal with your moods. I can't handle this all the time, Sev."

I giggle. We spend hours like that, just talking. Then we went out for dinner. After that we sparred. She lasted over a minute but I totally trounced her... I think. Wouldn't be the first time Morgan throws a match. When we part, she spends an embarrassingly long time checking whether I'm fine. She tells me to get to bed on time and take care of my needs and cut down on the fighting a bit. For a while, we forget there is a war going on. We forget about the death of our princess. We forget about our duties and families. We return to a simpler time, when we were children in adult bodies. It's fun… It's lots of fun… I wish it would last forever…

As soon as the door closes behind me and I hear Morgan's footsteps fade into silence, I knew it wouldn't...

But it was good while it lasted.

* * *

Corrin

I stand outside the throne room, dressed for battle. I've come to ask father for permission to march on the ice tribe and so far, Iago has been making it difficult to gain entrance.

"I want to see my father, Iago." I demand.

"For what business?"

"That is none of your concern."

Iago snorts. He gives me a look full of disdain. "With all due respect… I am the king's advisor. It is my concern who he sees and who sees him."

"I am a Nohrian prince, Iago. I am sick of your attitude. Get out of my way."

"How strange… last I heard, Corrin was a Hoshidan prince, born from Mikoto's womb. I was merely concerned the king would be in the presence of an enemy. After all, I am right to be concerned for my king's safety when a Hoshidan bastard demands his presence."

I feel a strong urge to draw my weapon. He's likely powerful, but at this distance, a magic user is as good as naked. A quick thrust at his neck and all his life will spill out. It would be so easy… He'll slump to the ground, begging for the life I already took, all the while his life spill out through his throat... I can't eat him though… Someone like him would be revolting to my appetite. Such filthy, filthy meat. I…

I shake my head, horrified at the thoughts going through my mind. Did I consider killing father's advisor and then… consuming him? I remember my resolve to harness this part of me rather than hold it back, and yet the thought of tearing a human being limbs to limbs still scare me. I suppose I should take comfort in the fact that my current mental state still finds these thoughts disturbing.

As I look at Iago, I notice a hint of concern in his eyes. Not for me… for himself. What kind of face was I making? Whatever it was, I'm glad I scare him. I've put up with Iago for long enough. Let him think he's at risk from me. After all, he may not be so wrong.

Perhaps these thoughts need not be held back. That hint of fear in his eyes… I'd like to feel it again.

"Iago!" Lady Arete calls out from inside the room. "Let him in."

"M-Milady…" Iago stammers.

I push pass him before he can continue. I expected the queen to be acting on my father's order, but as I enter the room, I am greeted with a shocking sight. On father's throne sits his wife. King Garon is nowhere to be seen.

In lady Arete's hand rests a glass of something red… likely wine. She doesn't seem as sharp as she usually is. The gentleness and patience so often present on her face is now gone. The queen sits with her legs crossed, one hand holding a glass, the other acting as a head rest. She is the typical image of a despot, despite her unimposing frame and graceful demeanor.

"Your grace." I bow.

"Corrin."

"I'd like to request an audience with the king."

"He's pre-occupied at the moment. Come back another day."

I am taken aback by the frankness of her attitude. Lady Arete has always been the type to show courtesy to the point of coldness. Now she speaks as Garon would.

"W-Where is the king?"

"Away. Somewhere. Come back another day."

I stand my ground for a while, but in the end, I accept her command. She would not be sitting here without father's permission, and, like it or not, I must respect her authority. As I turn to leave, the queen interrupts me. "Oh… who am I kidding… there's nothing to do up here anyway. Nobody wants to deal with the 'foreign whore' while her husband is away."

I am shocked once more by the bitterness and curtness in her voice, but I choose to withhold any response I may have.

Lady Arete continues without any input from me. "King Garon is with Elise's mother."

"I-I see…"

The queen snorts. "Well… good on him! The woman needed comfort anyway. She lost her daughter and it's only right her child's father be there to mourn with her, no? Garon is cruel and bitter… but to us women he still acts the part of a gentleman. I wonder if my predecessor found his 'kindness' in these matters as galling as I do… I suppose I'm a small person… after all, the other women decided to 'play nice' these days… not that they were given much of a choice in the matter."

"If you say so your grace…"

"Your. Grace." Lady Arete repeats in a sing-song tone, taking a sip of what I am now certain is wine. "Your. Grace. Your. Grace. Your. Grace. Whose grace, really?"

"… I beg your pardon?"

"Your… grace… Cause it's certainly not mine… Even Iago the little slime treats me with barely feigned respect. Now that Garon is away the people look upon me with open contempt. Your grace… They used to call me that once you know? Haha... It was without a trace of resentment then." There's a faraway look in her eyes. Her next line is filled with sorrow and, I suspect, something that could either be resolve or madness. "Curse the day he killed my husband. Curse the day he took away my kingdom. I'll have my revenge… Just. You. Wait."

I do not have a clue what she is talking about. King Garon is alive and well and she is currently sitting on a throne. What does this woman know of vengeance?

In stark contrast to Iago, one look upon me causes her to giggle. "You have his look you know… if anyone can do this, it's you…" Then she whispers, so low I could barely make it out. "And if not… at least this will hurt him."

"If you say so, your grace."

Arete leans back on the throne. "You want manpower."

I am surprised once more by how quickly she shifts her attitude, but I try to keep my composure. "I do."

"You want revenge. You want the ice tribe girl."

I nod, even if my own motive is unclear even to me.

"You may have it. Tell Iago I grant you five hundred men as well as Camilla's brigade if she chooses to assist you. Leo, too, may accompany you if you wish, but Xander remains in Nohr."

"T-Thank you, lady Arete."

The queen shakes her head, smiling. "Don't thank me. This is not a favor to you. I am doing this to prevent unnecessary complication for this kingdom. Garon would have dealt with this by the end of the week, in his own way. I'm hoping you resolve the matter with more political and strategic awareness than my husband would. The ice tribe holds important resource and is the only people capable of inhabiting that dreadful land. My husband would have them killed, every last one. I do hope your attachment to the girl prevents you from being as foolish."

I sense that she is going behind father's back for this, but fearing that Garon would not have granted me the same right, I choose to not call her out. "Of course, your grace."

"But remember. Garon wants them dead. Even if you allow them to surrender peacefully, the king will still have them all hanged. Think of a solution, Corrin. It would be more advantageous to us if the ice tribe could join the fold once more."

I nod. I make no promises, but even now I feel a creeping dread well up in me when I imagine Garon executing every single one of Flora's people. I can say for certain that I do not want this… not yet… not until I hear from them myself.

"Is that all?"

"It is."

"You may leave." The queen smiles, raising her glass. "For Nohr. For Garon. For vengeance. May the blessing of the dusk dragon be upon you. And may you treat your enemies with the very brutality and savagery instilled in your blood."

Once more, I could not understand a word she said. I do not wish to question my blessing however, as I doubt Garon would be as generous in letting me handle this the way I would like. Before I turn away, I look upon the queen once more. She sits the throne like she belongs there, even if at the moment she is clearly somewhat intoxicated. Any sense of sorrow or grief over her daughter is muted right now and what remains is bitterness and rage too long concealed. Father is a hard man, but with him we understand where we stand, mostly. I do not know what to make of the queen. The gentleness and purity in her daughter is present in lady Arete, of that I have little doubt. However, now more than ever, I sense a deep seated fear combined with a thirst for vengeance. The source of those emotions, I do not know. But I do know that when she looked upon me today, there is a trace of both fear and hate. The former feeling is at least mutual. The queen… she scares me. This woman has an agenda, and for our sake I hope it lines up with ours.


	9. Chapter 9

Corrin

I watch on as Silas and a number of mounted units make their way back to our camp. I have ordered them to scout ahead for traps and see how the ice tribe is responding to our approach. The fact that they returned without a man missing is a good start. I dismiss those who accompanied Silas and beckoned him into my tent where Wren awaits us with a map of the are.

"Silas, how does it look?" I ask.

"They are aware of our presence." Silas answers. "It seems they are preparing for a fight, but if you ask me, they are far from ready. I believe they have been preparing for a while now but they did not expect us to bring the fight to them so soon."

I nod. "Thank you, Silas. Do you have any additional assessment?"

"Putting down the rebellion would be a straightforward affair. We outnumber them by far and our people are better equipped and have more experience. I… excuse me…" Silas sneezes, as if to demonstrates what he is about to say next. "I do worry about the weather…"

"Climate. And you should." Wren assesses. "I did my research. This isn't poor weather condition. This is standard. The ice tribe will have no problem with the cold but our people certainly will. Stick around for a while longer and we will start dying to the cold, of that I am certain. We do not have much time."

"Do you think they will surrender?" I ask both of them.

"If they have any sense, they will." Wren nods. "But considering they started this rebellion in the first place, I would say they are lacking in good judgement."

Silas sighs. "It does not seem likely… I judge that they are dead scared right now, with us outside their doorstep… But their sense of pride seems to supersede their better judgement. We can strong-arm them into surrendering by sending small attacks, wearing down their forces and inciting discourse by spreading fear among their citizenry, but as Wren has said the longer we stay here the more of us will die to the cold. If we send in all our people for a decisive battle however, most of them will not survive... and I honestly don't know how many of us will make it back."

"I say we do just that." Wren counsels. "The ice tribe is doomed anyway. Garon won't let them off easy, not after they more or less kickstarted the war."

"We need the ice tribe to hold this area. It is better if they are on our side." I say, more or less reciting what the queen has told me.

"Maybe so, but they are not vital. The effect of the loss of the ice tribe will not be felt until after the war is over. It will hurt, but we can deal with it. I suggest we take the safest course of action and start killing until they surrender or run out."

Despite my resolve to get rid of my innocence and naivety since the death in my family, Wren's viciously calculating attitude to the coming battle spooks me. Still, she's not wrong.

"Of course…" Wren continues. "It can't hurt to attempt a negotiation first."

I nod. This would be a start. We have nothing to lose by attempting to end this peacefully, no matter how unlikely it may be. "Silas, after you get some rest, can you bring them our terms? I am sorry but I do not trust anyone other than you for this."

My retainer nods. "I can do so now if you want. As Wren has said every passing hour here will take a toll on our people."

"Good man. I'll take you up on your offer then. Take as many people as you feel necessary to ensure your safety. Go to the Ice Tribe and speak to their leader. Tell them they are to surrender peacefully and their people will be spared. I will speak on their behalf to my father as long as they swear undying loyalty to Nohr." Even as I speak the words, I realize what a hollow promise that is. Garon is not merciful and in truth I have no plan. "Tell them I will accept negotiations if they find the terms unsatisfactory, but only on neutral ground. Assure them that unless they attack first, we will not attack today, but also make sure they realize that my patience is limited."

"At once." Silas answers and swiftly departs.

"One more thing. Tell them I want Flora to be there. I want her to explain her actions to me. Assure him that she will not be harmed today and will be safely returned to her home by the end of the day. Make sure he understands that I will not accept negotiation if he cannot agree to this condition."

Silas nods and leaves me. Wren seems satisfied with my choice, but she looks as if she is expecting more.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing. I'm just not very optimistic about this negotiation."

"Neither am I, but it's the best shot we have. What would you have me do?"

"Flora is the heir to the ice tribe. Do you think she would surrender?"

I think it over. However, the more I consider question, the more I realize how little I know. As I reach adulthood, I've always had a sort of crush on Flora… Perhaps it has something to do with my childhood crush on her sister, I don't know. But right now, as I try desperately to predict her actions, I understand that I never truly knew Flora. How would I describe her? Obedient? Proper? Graceful? I'm a sad excuse for a liege… Flora has always been the pretty, helpful maid, nothing more. I never cared to understand her position until now.

"I don't know…" I answer uncertainly. "I think she will be reasonable… but I don't know…"

Wren sighs. "What about Felicia?"

"I think… I think she will listen to me. Felicia is good and pure. She will put the good of her people first and she will trust me... or anyone really."

"Good. Flora and Felicia are the only children to the current leader of the ice tribe."

"What are you implying?"

Wren shrugs. "The ice tribe are proud people, but they are also honorable people. They will bow to their leader, no matter who that is. If their leader tells them to surrender, most will likely bend the knee."

"The current leader may not be reasonable."

"No. But if something unfortunate is to happen to him, Flora will be their leader."

I go silent. This is the purpose of her question. "And if Flora proves unreasonable…"

"If this negotiation comes through, she will be present with her father."

I shake my head. "No."

"Flora is an unknown and you judge that Felicia is more likely to surrender… if something is to happen to Flora, Felicia would then be the heir."

"No!"

"It will save more lives."

"I don't care!"

Wren shuts up for a moment. "We could always march."

I hold my face in my hands. "I know… I know…"

"The choice is yours, boss." Wren shrugs. "I'm not concerned for our safety. I do not think you will risk our lives needlessly. But if you want to save your former retainers, at least one of them, you better choose fast."

My retainer leaves me to myself. I slump on my chair, all my resolve deflating. Can I really make this choice? Will I choose right? Will I even have the strength to choose?

I remember Elise. I remember how I wasn't there for her when she died. I remembered how our inability to fight back killed my sister. I steel my heart.

I had asked Leo for help before beginning the march. Xander would definitely have too much on his shoulder. Camilla is still in grief. Leo… I hated myself for relying on him yet again, but I came to him, asking for advice, but mostly hoping he would offer to join. He had business to take care of and apologized profusely, but he offered help regardless. He introduced me to a man who he had ordered to assist me until I return to Nohr in any way I desire. Leo told me to make use of the man if I need things done subtly… or… if I need to get my hand dirty.

"Soldier!" I call out to the man guarding my tent, who immediately enters and gets on one knee, awaiting my order. "Get me the shifty one-eyed fellow… Niles. Tell him Corrin has a task for him."

* * *

Azura

I go over our logistics once more. As I understand it, this is usually Takumi's duty. However, right now I believe my brother needs all the help he can get. I can do this much at least.

Knock knock.

"Come in." I answer, looking up from my desk, making a small effort to tidy up.

"Good morning Azura." Ryoma enters my room, holding a sword-like object, covered by cloth.

"Good morning Ryoma."

"May I sit?"

I nod, moving all the papers to the side and pouring my eldest brother a cup of tea. "Make yourself comfortable."

Ryoma takes the cup with a warm smile, the stress subsiding from his face for a brief second. "Thank you."

Ryoma drinks his tea in silence as I look over our logistics once more. He observes me with fascination and, I would like to think, a hint of pride. He sets down the object he brought to me to his side, leaving business for later.

"You should go out more. This is Takumi's duty." Ryoma says after a while.

I shake my head. "Takumi could use a break. I'll take over for a while longer."

I scan Ryoma's face and was not surprised to find some discomfort in there. I could guess why. I know that he knows what I saw in his expression, so I await him to speak up whenever he feels comfortable doing so.

After a minute, he finally does. "Elise. We confirmed her death."

I pause for a second. I shouldn't be surprised. I shouldn't even be sad. I never met her. She is not my family. She does not have my blood. And yet, I feel a pang in my heart. I remember Corrin's expression when he talked about Elise. It was only for a second, but he was really looking forward to me meeting his sister. He really believed it was possible.

I wanted to believe it too.

"I'm sorry, Azura." Ryoma says, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shake my head and steady my voice. "There is nothing to apologize for. Elise was born after I… left… Nohr. She is a stranger to me."

"Of course."

Despite his words, I know that Elise's death disturbs Ryoma more than he cares to admit. Elise is a child and a non-combatant at that. Killing her is a shameful act despite the practicality of it all. The fact that her killer is Ryoma's younger brother must hurts too.

And considering Hoshido, half the country may very well share that opinion. We have killed innocent. They have killed plenty of innocent. What is different about this girl?

"Takumi is your brother, Ryoma." I say. "He needs you now, more than ever."

Ryoma is silent. His honor demands a small measure of justice at least. He does not hate his brother. He could never. But that does not mean he can easily forgive such an action. Of course, rationally, Takumi's action was blameless and perhaps even understandable. He claims to not have known who he had killed and, more importantly, it was war. People die in war, and this person is one Takumi could no even see the face of. Holding a grudge about it is what is unreasonable.

And yet, it could not be denied that his action had resulted in Nohr's renewed hatred for our kingdom. It was Elise's death that sparked Corrin's awakening. It was the killing of this child that fills our people with unease. Accidental or deliberate. Cruel or practical. These are the simple facts of the matter. Takumi suffers.

I shake my head. "If you won't be with him, then I will."

"Thank you…" Ryoma nods, his head hanged in shame. "I need time to determine my true duty. But please, I want my brother safe, of this I'm certain."

An uncomfortable silence hangs in the air briefly, before I choose to break it. "How's mother doing?"

"She is with the troops, going over battle plans and deciding how to use our ninjas. Right now we are trying to determine important targets. They are getting used to our ninjas, after so many years of trying to get Corrin back. We have to use our people more sparingly. We are much better than they are at subterfuge and mother believes we should press this advantage."

I tense up. Ryoma did not miss my reaction. "Are you okay, Azura?" He asks. "I can speak on your behalf if you wish… perhaps the Nohrian queen isn't as big a threat as mother believes…"

I shake my head. "She almost certainly is. I am fine. My only mother is called Mikoto, Ryoma. You are my family. The Nohrian queen lost me after she chose my cousin over her own daughter."

We both know that this is far from the truth, though only I know the extent of the lie. I know of my biological mother's motive. She did not choose Corrin. She wanted a weapon, to defend me, to achieve vengeance. She knew her sister would never treat me cruelly and she deemed our separation an acceptable sacrifice. Queen Arete simply assessed her options and picked the best one.

I hastily change the topic. "What's that sword you brought in?"

"Ah, right." Ryoma places the object on the table and lays it bare. The sword looks more antique than weapon, but I could sense something within it. "We dug the sword out of the statue near the Shirasagi Castle. Mother's order. This sword is called the Yato."

I nod. I know of the sword's origin. This is mother's countermeasure to our current threat… both of them.

"There is a problem." Ryoma sighs. "The sword does not accept me."

"How so?" I ask.

"I cannot explain it, but I am certain. The sword does not react. I brought it to all the others, including mother. Most of them agreed with my assessment. The sword does not react to any of us. In our hands, it's no more than a pretty but ultimately impractical sword."

"I see."

Ryoma continues. "Prophecy tells of a person who would come to Hoshido, to be the rightful wielder of the Yato. This hero is prophesied to be our savior, both Nohr and Hoshido. I do not know what we need saving from but that is the legend. We were told that this would be a child of two worlds, who would put an end to this... threat. Mother believed… no… she still believes this person to be Corrin."

"I can see where she is coming from. But you seem to disagree."

Ryoma nods. "I know swords, magical or otherwise. A swordman's weapon tells of his heart, his soul. I've seen Corrin. I've seen how he fights. The Yato is pure and serene. It is a blank slate. It accepts one whose fate is malleable. I will not accept Corrin as its rightful wielder."

I do not know swords. I barely know spears. But I can understand his view simply by gazing upon the Yato. Even so, what he says next shocks me.

"I believe you are to wield the Yato, Azura."

"Brother… I cannot even swing a sword."

"Not yet. But sometimes, the sword wields you."

"You are serious about this…"

"I am. Please, Azura, try."

"I…"

"Just do this for me, sister."

I sigh, hesitantly putting a hand on the Yato's hilt. I pick the sword up, more easily than I expected. The weapon is light despite its somewhat extravagant appearance. I wield it in my hand, trying to imitate how a swordman would do it. As Ryoma looks on expectantly, I stand up and walk to the middle of the room, giving it a few experimental swing, looking rather silly.

"The sword does not react." Ryoma says, failing to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. The time isn't right."

"Time? You still believe me to be its true wielder?"

Ryoma nods.

"I'm sorry, brother, I…"

"It's fine, Azura." Ryoma shakes his head, retrieving the weapon from me and wrapping it in cloth once more before heading to the door. "This is fate. The sword will find its owner eventually. I only hope we live to see the day. Goodbye, Azura. Try to go out more. You need it as much as the rest of us."

As the door closes, I sit down once more, and resume working. Twice, I have to start over because I realize I had failed to register what my eyes had read. I put the papers down and hold my face in my hands. Why am I disappointed? It is only natural… I would not be the one chosen by Yato… I would not be this savior… That would only be a wish of a silly girl who would not grow up. I am a grown woman. I am content to support my family. I am content to support my kingdom. I don't need to lead. I don't.

Why can't I be the one, mother? I know of the true threat. I could have convinced them. I could have saved us. Both of my families feel the need to defend me, not one did they ask for help. Princess Azura… kind and gentle, pure of heart. We need to protect her. We need to fight for her. Did it ever cross their mind that I desperately want to fight for them? Damn them all. Why can't I fight, mother? Why won't you let me defend you the way you defend me?

I hear the sound of pegasi outside my window. I hear the sound of spears clashing and mother and Hinoka's order to the trainee. I hear a Kinshi among them. I make my choice and retrieve my spear.

* * *

Corrin

I tap my feet impatiently. Occasionally I feel a shiver down my spine and am forced to consider taking up on Wren's offer. My retainer thought it may be a good idea to get me drunk before a vital diplomatic meeting, assuring me that a little bit usually helps and it would me feeling warm, but I wasn't taking any risk... and I don't want to let her know I have absolutely no experience with alcohol. Still, I cannot imagine how the ice tribe manages to live in this climate and must now concede to the queen's point: No one but them can hold this land along with its strategic position and resources.

"H-How…" I start before interrupting myself with a sneeze. "How long?" Coming early doesn't seem like such a good idea now.

"You okay Corrin?" Silas asks. "Any minute now… but if you…"

"I-I'm fine…"

Wren sigh. "It's important to appear strong, boss. We can't have you shivering and shaking if we are to project strength."

"I know! I-I know… Gods how are you even…"

Wren displays a bottle of wine and winks. I was going to chastise her for it but stops myself when I notice that she drank very little… and I am also seriously considering the offer. Goodness did everyone in Nohr get a bottle of wine while I wasn't looking?

"D-Does it really help?"

"Nope. The opposite actually. But it makes you FEEL warmer and that's what you need right now boss. One way or another you need to appear firm and in control."

"I-I'll pass…"

"Suit yourself. Probably for the best… Apparently I have higher tolerance than most so this much won't affect me. You though, have to keep your mind clear. Silas, get him another coat."

I shake my head. "It'll slow me down in a fight."

"We're not here to fight, boss, not yet. But fine, it's always good to be ready for it."

I stand once more, occasionally bouncing and stretching lightly. I know it really takes away the intimidation factor I need to project right now but I feel that if I don't move my body my blood will freeze. We are waiting for the leader of the ice tribe to arrive so we can negotiate their surrender. It's not a hopeful prospect and the cold isn't helping…

"You sure this is fine?" Wren asks suddenly.

"What…" I sneeze once more, then force myself to start again. "What do you mean?"

"We don't have enough people. This could be a trap."

"We agreed to the term. We bring no more than three people."

"Yeah, but…" Wren surveys the location once more. "There are a lot of blindspots… we can hide our people and he would never know. If we can take both of them prisoner, we can likely end this rebellion right here."

"That is true…" Silas concedes. "But we did agree to the terms didn't we?"

"So?"

Honor and integrity seems to be a concept that's entirely lost on Wren. "Forget it. What's done is done." I sigh. "Besides, this is their land. I don't think we can hide our people from them here."

"Yeah you're probably right. Let's hope your other plan works out."

I dread what she is implying. We came here, expecting our negotiation to fail. We had a backup plan, which Wren was very happy with. It left a bad taste in Silas's mouth but he refrained from objecting. I don't like it either, but if it saves the lives of the Ice Tribe, so be it.

Then I hear a clear, calm voice from behind me. "So this is the man who leads the Nohrians against my tribe? Can't say I'm impressed."

I turn around, hastily gathering my composure. "Chieftain Kilma?"

The man stops and nods, looking upon me proudly despite the fact that I surround his tribe and now threatens to destroy his people. But it is not him I truly care about. To his side stands his daughter and my former retainer, Flora. She stands with as much composure as her father does but her eyes fail to hide her confusion at seeing me.

"I am Corrin, prince of Nohr." I continue without any verbal input from Kilma or Flora. "I have come to demand the ice tribe's surrender."

"And if I refuse?" Kilma asks, unfazed.

I shallow hard. "Then your people will pay the price for disobedience."

Kilma's eyes narrow. His next words make no attempt to hide his contempt for me and my kingdom. "Child, for decades, we have been paying the price of obedience. We bent the knees and bowed our heads when the Nohrian king asked us too and look what we have to show for it? Decreasing autonomy, exploitation of our resources, blatant disrespect of our people… the kidnapping of my daughters."

"What?"

The chieftain shows brief surprise, and then breaks his composure by allowing himself a slight chuckle. "You don't know."

I shake myself out of my shock. I cannot afford to lose my composure here. I must project strength. "It matters not. Chieftain Kilma, you rebelled for the benefits of your people. But if you refuse to surrender, we will attack at dawn. Can you claim to fight for your people as they are massacred around you?"

"Can you claim to care about the wellbeing of my people as you make that threat? We are a proud people. We will not yield, Nohrian prince. That is our answer."

I feel an anger wells up inside me. Foolish man-spawn. Does he defy me? Does he defy Nohr? This mere human thinks he can speak this way to me and lives… He does not reek of fear. He reeks of pride. Arrogant man-spawn, I'll…

What...

I gulp. This is not I came here for. I came here to prevent this exact thing. I hold myself back and look upon Flora.

"Flora… is it true?" I ask.

Flora answers with a coldness that is strangely fitting for her. "I do not know what you speak of."

"Did you conspire with Hoshido to kidnap me?"

She stares silently for a while. I believe there's a hint of disbelief in her eyes. "Father had been in contact with Hoshido for a while now. They have asked us to look out for any opportunity to rescue you from Nohr. In return, they will supply us with their own information on Nohr as well as weapons and supplies sufficient to start our rebellion."

"I… don't understand… why!?"

At this, Flora nearly explodes. "Why!? **I** don't understand! We rescued you from Nohr and led you back to your true family! We took you from this god-forsaken kingdom and gave you the blessed land of Hoshido! You could have been fighting for your true family! Failing that you could have been living in a land where the sun still shines and where the ruler isn't a ruthless despot! You rejected all that and adorned once more the Nohrian chain they put on you ever since you were a child and marched on our land with their army!? And now you have the audacity to ask us **why**!?"

I am taken aback by the ferocity in her response, but then I remember why I've come here in the first place, why I returned. "Nohr is my true family, Flora."

"What!?"

"They loved me. They raised me. Say what you will about Nohr, it is the only family I know of. Hoshido is all you claimed it to be and more, but Nohr will forever be **my** family. I'll burn this whole damn world to the ground before I turn my back on family, Flora!"

Flora stares blankly for a while, the most bitter smile on her face. "We are so alike… and yet so different. How I wish I could see Nohr through your eyes. How I wish you could see your family through mine."

"We ARE your family, Flora!"

"You don't know what you're talking about my sweet foolish liege. Do you ever wonder why I worked for you? Do you ever wonder why both me and my sister chose to be someone else's servant ever since we are but children!? Do you ever wonder why we never seem to have holiday!? The kingdom you call family is my prison, Corrin! Your king came to this land and took what is ours and tread on our honor. When he left he took insurance… insurance in the form of two little girls, ripped from their family. If the ice tribe ever considers going against Nohr again… haha…" Flora makes a half-hearted hand gesture of her being beheaded.

"I… never knew…"

"You never cared to find out."

"I…"

"You were kind. You were considerate. You tried your best. But you never understood. Who am I? Obedient Flora. Quiet Flora. Courteous Flora. Like the rest of them you saw the maid and never cared to really looked. And now you serve Garon. Corrin, I had hoped for us to meet again. I always wanted to have this conversation, a true heart-to-heart. You were a kind liege and a wonderful friend... I have wanted to say all these things for so long… to anyone really… I just wish circumstances were different…"

"I'm sorry…"

"So am I."

"I'll fix this. I promise. Everything will be fine. I'll bring you back. I'll talk to the king… I'll talk to my brothers and sister… I'll make it better… You'll see…"

Flora shakes her head. "I wish I could believe that. I fear that you do."

"I do."

Just then, a horseman arrives. The man dismounts and whispers into my ear. "She's here my lord…"

"Bring her here on my signal."

The man rides away in silence.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Kilma asks, his composure wavering. "Is this another Nohrian trick? We were promised none would be harmed! This is a negotiation! would you dare to attack us now?"

"Chieftain Kilma, you are too trusting." I answer, causing both him and Flora to scan the surrounding in panic, suspecting an ambush. They are right to be fearful, I did consider it, despite what I told Wren. But the ice tribe are a prideful people. If I break this promise, they will fight to the last man. "However… you are correct. This is a negotiation. We will not attach each other. That does not mean I cannot attack one of my own."

"Have you gone mad!? Explain your…"

Kilma stops himself at the sight of a man. This man wears an eyepatch and gives off an undeniably crooked aura. His grin disturbs me somewhat. It should not however, Niles acts as I have ordered him to. He lays a hand on the shoulder of a woman. A woman too innocent to understand the scene before her. A woman who used to be my retainer… my friend.

"Corrin! You're…" Felicia shouts, but is interrupted by Niles roughly covering her mouth with his hand. He whispers something to the Felicia, who goes silent once his hand is off her. I beckon them over and Felicia begins walking toward us with Niles's hand on her shoulder once more.

"Corrin… you…" Flora starts.

"Coward! Is this how Nohrians fight?" Kilma shouts.

"It is how Nohrians win." I answer.

"You promised you would not harm one of us here!"

"Felicia, whose retainer are you?" I ask, my eyes remaining on Kilma.

"Yours, of course…" Felicia answers without missing a beat, seemingly confused at the obvious question.

"You heard the girl. She's one of ours." I shrug.

"Corrin… what…"

I raise a hand, signaling my hostage to ceases her question. The motion came so naturally, it frightens me.

"You are truly your father's son…" Kilma sneers at me.

"Thank you." I nod before extending my hands. "This is my offer, chieftain Kilma. Your undying loyalty to Nohr in exchange for your tribe and your daughter."

The chieftain grits his teeth in anger. "And if I refuse?"

"Then tomorrow we will march upon your tribe and murder every last man and woman. Your legacy will fade like that of any upstart who thinks to challenge Nohr. Your people will curse your name as we set their home ablaze. Your children will grow up in unconditional servitude to Nohr. Your head will be added to the spikes on our wall. Your land will be naught but snow and dust and ruins and there will not be a gravestone for you and your kind. That is what will happen tomorrow. As for today... we have your daughter, chieftain Kilma. She has four limbs, ten fingers, ten toes, two eyeballs, one nose, two ears, a full set of teeth and a full head of hair. And what we have is time. When we start taking off those numbers, one, by, one, you think she'll sing to us?"

"What…" Felicia starts before Niles interrupts her once more. Even he looks disgusted at what I said. I would be too.

"Monster!" Flora screams, hysterical. "She is your friend! She doesn't understand any of this! Felicia is innocent! Leave my sister out of this!"

I do my best to ignore Flora and keep my gaze fixed on the chieftain. This does not have to be difficult. Things can be as they have always been. I'll do better. I'll be a better liege. I'll try to understand. Please… Do not make me do these things… Because I fear I am capable of it.

"The Nohrian has shown us what they think of honor." The chieftain replies coolly, any trace of fear gone from his voice. "Do your worst, boy. Every last man and woman of the ice tribe will willingly die before they bend the knees to the like of you again."

What.

"You can't be serious…" I say, forgetting myself for the moment.

"Why not, boy? You have shown us what Nohr truly is. You expect us to join the fold once more like little sheep? We are a proud people, and you are not as strong as you want us to think. Otherwise, you would not even bother meeting peacefully like this."

"We outnumber you! Your people are untrained! You cannot hope to win against us."

"You underestimate the ice tribe, Nohrian prince. And even if you are correct, we have our pride. We will fight to the last man for our freedom. I have promised my people this. I must give it to them. This has been their only hope in life for the last few decades of our miserable existence under Nohr."

"Your people WILL die! YOUR people! The devil takes their pride. Surely… you are their leader… it is your obligation to fight for their safety, not lead them to their death!"

"What do you know of obligation, prince? I suppose the benevolent Garon told you of them?"

For once, I am more disgusted with this man than I am with myself. In anger, I yank Felicia away from Niles by her face. She yelps in pain but does not resist.

"I have your daughter Kilma!" I shout. "YOUR daughter! If you do not care for your people… you owe it to your daughter at least. She does not deserve to be the last of her kind. Surrender, Kilma… and we can put this business behind us."

The chieftain looks torn for a moment. It was a short moment. "I am the chieftain of the ice tribe. My duty to my people supersede my duty to my children."

"Father!" Flora shouts.

"Be quiet, girl! Have I not taught you right? You are to offer up all you have in service to your tribe, as I have."

"You cannot mean that! Felicia…"

"Be. Quiet."

"You cannot mean this…" I say in disbelief.

"Is this the extent of Nohrian cruelty?" Kilma asks with a mocking gesture.

Enraged. I feel my hand change. Felicia yelps in fear as draconic claws hold her face. My hand is twice the size of her head and encompasses it entirely. Slowly, my claws close in around her head, and the fear in her voice is slowly replaced by pain.

"Last chance, man-spawn." I growl. "Right now, I can crush your daughter's head like an eggshell. She would not have the chance to scream. Then I will devour your daughter slowly while you watch. Would you like that, spawn of man? Would you like to see how fragile the creature called human truly is?"

"Corrin… what are you!?" Flora asks, her voice dripping with fear for her sister. "Let Felicia go, please! We can talk this over! You cannot mean this… Felicia is not part of this… She does not know why her friend is threatening her life right now! She does not know why I lied to her! She does not even know why her family and yours are fighting! Please… I'll convince father… You're right... We'll work it out... Do not hurt my sister, please!"

I ignore the ice tribe girl. Small, pathetic thing, pleading and begging and whining. I fix my gaze upon the pompous man-spawn who thinks he's above me. I force myself to remember my purpose. "Last chance, Chieftain… for your daughter."

The man-spawn closes his eyes and mumble something to himself… a prayer perhaps? For him? For her? Haughty man-spawn! He wouldn't dare… He wouldn't dare!

"Take my daughter if you dare. I have another." Kilma answers.

I howl, drowning out Felicia's scream. Little man-spawn thinks he's above me! Unforgivable! Inconceivable! I'll show him… I'll make him eat the flesh of his daughter before tearing out his throat and feasting on his corpse and forcing his heir to watch! I'll burn everything and everyone he ever loved and I'll devour them and skin them and break them! And Wren and Silas and the rest! Useless useless useless useless spawns of man! Weak arrogant disgusting beings! I'll...

NO! NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! This isn't right! This cannot be right! I'm better… I'm better than this… I am… Go away… GO AWAY!

I fling Felicia to the ground like a sack of potato. If she had been in my grip a second longer, I do not think I could have resisted. The claws disappear and my hands return. My mind clears once more and the rumbling within me drowns out all sensation. Silas rushes to Felicia to check on her wounds. I am surprised to find that her facial features are intact. Felicia sobs uncontrollably. I avoid the glare Silas gives me and fix my gaze on Kilma. I do everything in my power to keep my voice from wavering.

"So be it. Prepare your people, chieftain. Tomorrow we will see what your pride is worth."

The chieftain returns my glare and leaves without a word. However, with my draconic instincts held back for now, I did not fail to note the relief in his face. Was he bluffing? Did I screw up? Moot point now… Tomorrow the ice tribe dies and there's not a thing I can do about it.

I avoid Flora's gaze entirely. I cannot bear to look upon her again, after all this. I do not think I can look myself in the mirror again if I could have seen what sort of expression Flora had as I threaten to murder her sister. However, I did not fail to notice her curled fists as she walks away. I pray that she does not take part in the battle tomorrow. I do not want her to die thinking I was about to kill her sister… even if she may have been right.

I stand in almost utter silence after Kilma and Flora left. Silas occasionally asks if Felicia is alright and whether can she feel her face and whether there is any permanent damage and whether she's bleeding anywhere. I wait a long time, standing in the cold as the wind bites into my flesh. When I am certain Kilma and Flora are safely back in their village, I kneel before Felicia and embraces her. No… it is too light to call an embrace… I put my arms around her… anymore and I fear the dragon inside me would come back… I hold her, whispering repeatedly. "I'm sorry... Gods help me I'm so sorry… I hurt you… I would have killed you… I'm sorry…"

I do not know what kind of face Felicia is making but after a while she puts her arms around me. "Shh…. It's okay… It's okay… I'm fine… I'm fine… You weren't going to do it… I trust you…"

Tears begin rolling down my face. I make no attempt to hide my sobbing. "You are wrong… I was going to do it… I would have done that and more… I'm sorry for what I am becoming… I'm sorry for what I am about to do to your people… I'm sorry for what I've done to you… for everything I've done to you… Oh gods Flora was right… I'm so sorry…"

Felicia does not know what to say, but she holds me as a mother would hold a child. "It's fine… I'm fine… Everything will be fine…"

I start wailing. Felicia is too good for the likes of me… I do not deserve her friendship… I used her like a bargaining chip and when I failed I tossed her away like trash… As she holds me, reassuring me that everything will be alright and that I shouldn't cry and that she'll be here and that she's certain her sister will be as well, I feel the warmth of her skin as the cold slowly eats away at me. Felicia shines like the sun… but even her warmth fail to hold back the merciless cold. Even as I weep into her like a child, a part of me considers the coming battle. I see Flora among a pile of corpses. I see her father among them. I see myself bringing back the corpses to the girl who holds me now. I see her assuring me that it's not my fault even as she weeps for her people, her father, her sister. I see her crying her eyes out and failing to see the man responsible for all of this. And I weep for her and hate the person responsible for all this on her behalf with all my heart. May the devil take my soul when I die, but I fear he may find it too revolting.


End file.
